As the new $723.3 million Tweed Valley Hospital marks 4 months since it officially opened, a new documentary has been released celebrating the community's contribution to creating the hospital's centrepiece art sculpture.
The mini documentary follows celebrated local artist Hiromi Tango who collaborated with hundreds of patients, staff and community to create the specially commissioned sculpture, GARDEN | Healing Together, which is suspended from the ceiling of the main hospital foyer.
The documentary captures the contributions of community members throughout the development of the hospital's central art piece, inspired by the local landscape.
Featuring a colour palette of blues and greens to represent the local hinterland and the ocean, GARDEN explores the healing properties of plants, including the medicinal and nutritional properties.
Hundreds of hands brought the artwork to life using small pieces of fabric to create 'seedlings' in the shape of Lilli Pilli berries, a process guided by Hiromi.
The artwork forms part of the hospital's Arts in Health program, which includes more than 90 artworks, created by 30 local artists across 17 clinical wards.
The Tweed Valley Hospital opened to patients in May this year and has managed over 15,000 presentations to the Emergency Department.
The new hospital features:
- an expanded Emergency Department
- expanded outpatient services with more clinics
- 12 operating theatres, an increase of five from the previous Tweed Hospital
- new interventional cardiology service
- new radiotherapy service as part of integrated cancer care, including a PET-CT suite.
The GARDEN | Healing Together documentary and complete collection of the artworks can be viewed in a virtual "Arts Trail" on Northern NSW Local Health District.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:
"It's clear that having this new significantly larger hospital is a big asset to this community, with Tweed Valley Hospital managing 15,000 ED presentations in its first four months of operation.
"By including the community in the planning and design of the hospital development, including the artwork it has created such a welcoming, therapeutic environment in this new health facility.
"More than 500 members of the community young and old contributed to the artwork, whether it was from their hospital beds, nurses station, or a picnic in the park."
Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Tweed, Emily Suvaal MLC:
"The feature sculpture gives the hospital a unique and distinct local identity and aims to enhance the patient, staff and visitor experience.
"This hospital is really important to our region, and wonderful that it has this warm welcoming artwork."
Quotes attributable to Artist Hiromi Tango:
"The creation of the GARDEN | Healing Together sculpture was guided by Elders from both the Aboriginal and South Sea Islander communities, as well as participants including hospital staff and patients, school students and local retirement and aged care facility residents.
"We gently wove our hopes, and aspirations through a deep love of place, to create the artwork."
