Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
Sculpture by Renowned New Orleans Artist Lin Emery Installed at Ochsner Medical Center - Jefferson Highway
Photo Caption: “Gesture” by Lin Emery, donated to Ochsner and dedicated to the art of healing by Mrs. Catherine Burns Tremaine (daughter of one of Ochsner’s founders, Dr. Edgar Burns) and Mrs. Mikell Johnson. The sculpture stands at the River Road entrance to Ochsner Medical Center.
Ochsner Medical Center – Jefferson Highway now has a new work of art to welcome patients, families and employees. The kinetic sculpture, titled “Gesture,” by New Orleans artist Lin Emery, was dedicated on Wednesday, Dec.4 at the River Road entrance. The piece joins a large collection of fine art on display around the hospital and clinic at Jefferson Highway. The Lin Emery sculpture was acquired thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Catherine Burns Tremaine and Mrs. Mikell Johnson.
“We are extremely fortunate that Ms. Tremaine and Ms. Johnson, two long-time friends of Ochsner, recognized the beauty and significance of this sculpture and its potential to enhance the quality of life on the Ochsner grounds,” said Bradley Goodson, System Vice President and Chief Operating Office of Ochsner Medical Center. “Thanks to their gift, we dedicate this piece to the healing power of art and its importance in medicine and spiritual care. ’Gesture’ has been likened to outstretched welcoming arms, especially appropriate for the message it sends our patients and visitors.”
The Ochsner art program began in 1994 as part of an overall initiative to ensure the physical environment of the hospital and clinics promoted healing as much as the medical care. The hundreds of pieces in the collection are intended to evoke life and hope, according to volunteer Lorene Holbrook who co-curates the collection with fellow volunteer Bill Cullison. The program counts numerous physicians, donors and administrators among its champions.
“Art is the language of our souls. It speaks to us, and for us, when words fail or prove insufficient,” said hematologist/oncologist Laura Finn, M.D., associate director of Bone Marrow Transplant at Ochsner. “Art relieves suffering in both tangible and intangible ways, decreasing pain and anxiety, while providing serenity and peace. Art well-chosen and well-placed is how we speak the language of empathy in medicine.”
Today, hundreds of pieces are spread throughout the Jefferson Highway campus and seen by both patients and employees. The collection includes both permanent and rotating pieces by a wide variety of artists including Luis Colomares; Rise Delmar-Ochsner; Philip Gould; Robert W. Guthrie; Cal Kingsmill; Ida Kohlmeyer; May H. Lesser; Steven Harry Lesser, MD; Elmore Morgan, Jr.; Mary Lou Ochsner; James L. Steg; Pat Trivigno; and others.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the art program or donate or lend artwork for the benefit of Ochsner patients, their families and employees should contact Marjory Harper, mharper@ochsner.org or by phone at 504-842-7117. Artists wishing to have their artwork included in the rotating display of works for sale should contact the Ochsner Guest and Volunteer Services Department, volunteerservices@ochsner.org or by phone at 504-842-5085.
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About Ochsner Health System
Ochsner Health is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, and more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the #1 ranked hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report and is recognized as a “Best Hospital” across two specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 70 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner Hospital for Children is the only facility in Louisiana to be recognized as a top 50 children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years. Ochsner employs nearly 25,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts more than 700 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
