Art of Caring Online Exhibition - May 2020

Welcome to the Art of Caring 2020 exhibition. This is our 6th year of inclusive international art that celebrates Nurses, Midwives, Carers, and the NHS. Due to the lockdown situation here in the UK we will be showing a selection of artwork online this May (instead of in St George's Hospital, Tooting). Since submissions opened we've had a fabulous response from the art community with 300 artworks from 125 artists. Every day in May we will publish the work of 4 artists here on the Art of Caring blog.
We hope you enjoy the exhibition.
Alban, Dean and Bryan (at CollectConnect)

We are delighted to participate in the Art of Caring 2020 exhibition, the year which the World Health Organisation designated as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife and the bicentennial year of Florence Nightingale’s birth. Any year would have been timely to celebrate the attributes of our highly skilled, multi faceted professions, which make up the largest proportion of the NHS workforce. But with the world facing a global pandemic, it is apposite that in this, of all years, we pay tribute to the contribution and sacrifice made by our colleagues worldwide and offer them our sincere thanks and gratitude.

The theme for this year’s exhibition, ‘Ingredients for a healthy life’ takes on new meaning and poignancy in such unprecedented times. Many images in our exhibition reflect this, appreciating the gifts of comfort and kindness which bind us together. We are indebted to our Artist In Residence, Alban Low in organising our first ever ‘Virtual’ exhibition and hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Keep safe (and wash your hands),

Prof Karen Norman (On behalf of the School of Nursing, Kingston University and St George's, University of London).

Karen Norman is Non Executive Director, Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Visiting Professor, Business School, University of Hertfordshire

This exhibition is supported by the School of Nursing, Kingston University and St George's, University of London. Thank you to the arts team at St George's Hospital and our long term artist partners The Arts Project (Peter Herbert/Marius Els) at St Pancras Hospital

Art of Caring opens at St Pancras Hospital

It was a wonderful evening at the St Pancras Hospital gallery when we launched our fifth ART OF CARING exhibition. A lovely balmy evening brought out a big crowd of art lovers who spilled out into the St Pancras courtyard. The evening was launched by a fantastic passionate speech from St Pancras/CANDI CEO Angela McNab followed by Professor Karen Norman from Kingston University. She presented a well deserved award to the winner of the Art of Caring Writing Competition, Bola Lafe. Then we were treated to fabulous entertainment from Matt Grabham and his magic subterranean violin, Paul Destry with two soul searching blues numbers and our headliner Lucinda Sieger who performed with professional sparkle and joy and captivated our audience with 3 of her key hit songs.

Many thanks to all the artists supporting us who came with family and friends. Reaction to the artwork is strong and positive .Watch out for the premiere of Anna Bowman's new film about the exhibition on our closing night 4/10/19. 

Thank you to the continued support from The Nursing school at Kingston University and Peter Herbert and his team at St Pancras. This is truly a magical exhibition.

If you would like to see a larger selection of photos then follow this link - https://photos.app.goo.gl/19TmbhuMmTXFFvuL8

AOC Writing Competition Winner - Bola Lafe

This year the Art of Caring and Dr Karen Norman (Visiting Professor, Kingston University and St George's, University of London) asked nursing students at Kingston University and St George's University of London to come up with one word that they felt reflected the inspirational work done by the charity Nurse Reaching Out. They wrote their chosen word in wool, in their chosen language, reflecting the diversity of the students and the charity - reflecting  this years International Nurse Day theme: a truly inclusive “Health For All.”

Wool words at St George's Hospital, May/June 2019

We launched our Writing Competition in April 2019 as part of the Art of Caring exhibition. Writers from across the globe submitted short written texts of no longer than 100 words, in any format (e.g. poetry/fiction/reportage etc). They had to use at least one of the student's words in their composition. Below is the winning entry from Bola Lafe, who will be presented with his prize at the next Art of Caring exhibition at St Pancras Hospital (18th July - October 2019).

NHS 70th Birthday Art Exhibition at St George's Hospital

The National Health Service is turning 70 on 5 July 2018. We want to celebrate the achievements of one of the nation’s most loved institutions, to show our appreciation of the vital role the service plays in our lives, and to recognise and thank the extraordinary NHS staff – the everyday heroes – who are there to guide, support and care for us, day in, day out. 

St George's Hospital in London have asked us to put on a special Art of Caring exhibition in their gallery space to help celebrate the 70th birthday of the NHS. The exhibition charts the history of the Art of Caring throughout its brief history (only 4 years!) and showcases some of the written and pictorial contributions from artists in 2018. Come and see for yourself from the 5th - 22nd July in the gallery space in Ingredients Restaurant, Lanesborough Wing, St George Hospital, London, SW17 0QT.

This year for the Art of Caring we wanted to mark the NHS' birthday with awards for both Art and Writing. The prizes for these awards have been generously donated by the staff at the Faculty of Health, Social Care, and Education at Kingston University and St George's, University of London. We're excited to announce that Danny Mooney is the winner of the Art Prize and Latoya Igbinosun the Writing Prize. 

Danny Mooney is a highly respected artist living and working in Hastings,  http://www.dannymooney.pictures/. Although Danny has prosopagnosia (facial blindness), in the studio he draws and paints people. "Making images of people helps me remember them," he says. "Making images that other people can recognise increases the level of interest and difficulty." He recognises people by how they move. "I can only make a recognisable image of someone if they are animated." Mooney sees his work as wall mounted sculpture, with paint as the medium. The physicality and texture of the paint is key. For the last five years he has been painting every day on his iPad. These are always from life, and usually of the sea. "I love technology and painting on the iPad is like having my sketch book and all my colours with me all the time." Danny Mooney studied at Goldsmiths and London Guildhall University in London. Mooney’s work has been exhibited in the UK and America and is represented in collections in the UK, America, Switzerland, Japan and China

Latoya Igbinosun is currently studying Adult Nursing at Kingston University and St George's, University of London.

Here at the Art of Caring we are also publishing a new book to accompany our bestselling 2016 chapbook Resilience. Health is a Human Right is 16 page colouring book published by Sampson Low Ltd. Over 200 nursing students from Kingston University and St George’s University of London tapped into their creative juices to produce inspirational writing on the 2018 International Nurses’ Day theme ‘A Voice to Lead: Health is a Human Right’.

Visiting Professor Karen Norman introduced this year’s Art of Caring writing competition by inviting participants to create an ‘aphorism' on the IND theme. An ‘aphorism’ historically refers to the medical rules written by Hippocrates. Nowadays, it’s defined as ‘a concise expression of doctrine or principle of any generally accepted truth conveyed in a pithy, memorable statement.’ A good example is Florence Nightingale’s famous aphorism: ‘Hospitals should do the sick no harm.’ Here we present 27 written works chosen by the Kingston University Nursing Society in this special chapbook. Buy your copy at https://sampsonlow.co/

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The Art of Caring is an inclusive art exhibition that celebrates the role of nurses and carers on International Nurses’ Day (12th May) each year. The first Art of Caring was held at The Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon-Thames in 2015 and featured 252 artworks from 133 artists. The exhibition was the idea of Kingston University Nursing Society, faculty staff members, visiting professors, the faculty’s artist-in-residence Alban Low and the Head of Nursing at Kingston and St George’s, University of London Dr Julia Gale. 

Each year artists of all ages, skills and backgrounds are invited to submit work on the International Nurses’ Day theme and to consider the exhibition’s recurring concepts of Caring and Care. Submission is free, and no work is rejected. Each artwork is printed as a postcard and displayed on the wall. A copy of the postcard is sent to each artist wherever they live around the world. 

In 2016 the exhibition expanded to include written submissions in the form of a three line poem in the tradition of Japanese haikus. These were printed onto prescription sheets and displayed once again at The Rose Theatre gallery. The Art of Caring was also exhibited at St Pancras Hospital in 2016 with a mixture of original and postcard art on display. Each year since then the exhibition has travelled to St Pancras Hospital under the guidance of curators Peter Herbert and Elaine Harper-Gay. It is a fabulous opportunity to see the work afresh amongst this vibrant artistic community.

St George’s Hospital became a new home for the Art of Caring in 2017. For two weeks a busy corridor in the Atkinson Morley Wing was transformed into an art gallery. The exhibition was visited by the Chief Nursing Officer for England and Executive Director at NHS England Professor Jane Cummings. It proved to be very popular with nurses and service users alike. Over 4 years the Art of Caring has exhibited over 1180 paintings, drawings, collages, photographs, haikus, poems, aphorisms and sculptures. In the year of the NHS’ 70th birthday the Art of Caring still retains its popularity and inclusive ideals.

Art and Aphorism Prizes at Art of Caring 2018

Alban Low at Kingston University 09/02/2018

International Nurses Day 2018
Nurses: A Voice to Lead: Health is a Human Right

The 2018 ‘Art of Caring’ exhibition got off to a great start on 9 February, with over 200 nursing students tapping into their creative juices to produce great art and inspirational writing: all freshly squeezed from a half hour workshop led by Alban Low, Kingston University Artist in Residence. Alban painted his own artwork live on stage to mark the theme of this years International Nurses day: Nurses: A Voice to Lead: Health is a Human Right.

Alban was joined by Prof Karen Norman, who opened this years writing competition, and invited participants to create an ‘aphorism' on the same theme. Karen explained that the word ‘aphorism’ historically referred to the medical rules written by Hippocrates. Nowadays, it’s defined ‘a concise expression of doctrine or principle of any generally accepted truth conveyed in a pithy, memorable statement.’ (Or, as Karen said, a more pithy definition might be ‘pearls of knowledge.’) A good example is Florence Nightingale’s famous aphorism: ‘Hospitals should do the sick no harm.’

Students were asked to:
1)Pick a topic for their aphorism, which fitted in with the theme: Nurses: A Voice to Lead: Health is a Human Right

2) Identify the audience for their ‘pearl of knowledge.’ (which might include patients, peers, managers, policy makers, loved ones)

3) Compose a one-line aphorism

All entries to the art and aphorism competition received by 6th April 2018 will be judged by a panel of student nurses from the Kingston University Nursing Society. £50 prizes will be awarded for the best artwork and the best aphorism.

All entries will be displayed at the Art of Caring exhibition at St George's Hospital (10th-30th May 2018). Both competitions are open to all-so what are you waiting for?

If you would like to enter the competition and exhibition then send your images and/or aphorisms to collectconnect4@gmail.com by 6th April 2018 and you might win a £50 prize!

International Nurses Day 2016

Last Thursday, 12th May, we celebrated International Nurses Day 2016 in our own heartfelt way. This is the second year of the Art of Caring and it was even bigger and better than last year's exhibition. This year we exhibited 330 postcard sized artworks and poems from over 180 artists who sent us their work from around the world.

Eskild Beck and Alban Low

The launch party saw several artists come from far flung places including Eskild Beck from Denmark and CollectConnect favourite Melanie Ezra from Swansea. It was a glorious early summer's day in Kingston-upon-Thames and the streets outside teemed with a suburban buzz. Inside, the refreshments flowed feely and it was not only a good opportunity to delve deeper into our thought provoking selection but also to meet old and new friends alike. Photographer Bill Mudge was in attendance and you can see his full portfolio of photos HERE.

Thanks to everyone who came and exhibited their work, we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you to all at Kingston University and St Georges, University of London who have supported us both financially and with their time and expertise, especially Dr Julia Gale, Karen Norman, Paul Newcombe and Carmel Blackie. Also the hanging committee of Paul Newcombe, Nikki Yun and Bryan Benge who got all 330 postcards on the Rose Theatre walls.

The exhibition is open until the 24th May 2016 in the upper circle bar/foyer gallery at the Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon-Thames, so go and see it.

Don't forget our main event on the 23rd May 2016 in the main auditorium that includes poetry, performance and insights into the Nursing profession. If you don't know what to expect then watch last year's performance here.