I was out of town this past week teaching at the third learnfest workshop in Atlanta – a completely wonderful experience, and one that I will be posting about very soon (!!) …But, while I was gone, I missed the opportunity to take advantage of a premium invite to the Opening Ceremony of the NC Cancer Hospital – with the governor and a variety of notable notables presiding – and the premier of the large-scale gallery exhibit we have spent months working on, alongside UNC Healthcare and MarketSmart Advertising. I guess sometimes amazing things just all happen at the same time 🙂 This was a striking project for us for a variety of reasons. First of all, the new $180 million, state-of-the-art 315,000 square foot hospital was built with some brilliant, healing attention to detail, and it really shows as you walk through the impressively-created building. Secondly, this was a team effort in our studio, with our Studio Director Lisa coordinating so many details while keeping a vigilant eye on the overall project, and bringing it all together seamlessly – and Senior Associate Rachel Garrison and I spending day after packed day at the hospital, photographing a striking cross-section of doctors, patients, hospital administrators, nurses, survivors, even families of survivors. Most importantly, it was downright inspiring to meet so many people from every walk of life who share one thing in common: cancer. In the end, we walked away with a heartening collection of individual spirits. We heard some passionate stories of challenge, loss, victory, and – always – the continual struggle. And although we probably collected more hugs than we may have deserved, we certainly took them anyway. So, for now (the plan is for this to become a traveling exhibit throughout various cancer hospitals across the country), there are forty beautiful 30×40 canvas art pieces lining the walls and perched atop a variety of easels strategically placed throughout the brand new NC Cancer Care Hospital: The New Face of Cancer Care. New Hope. New Possibilities. We are so very grateful for our part in that.
A special thanks to Suzanne Herman, whose daughter’s *gorgeous* wedding I photographed, and who thought to contact us about the project – and to Simply Canvas, who sponsors every speaking engagement I do, for their exacting quality on producing all of these pieces and for turning them around so quickly 🙂
