Williamsville students display art at Women and Children's hospital
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

Mary Trbovich, a Maple West Elementary student, poses with her watercolor painting of a castle, which has been added to the permanent collection at Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo.

Children's art often graces the doors of household refrigerators and even the walls of office cubicles used by proud parents.

However, a piece of art by Maple West Elementary pupil Mary Trbovich is in a slightly more populated place.

Mary is one of several Williamsville students whose artwork has been selected to decorate the halls of Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

In October 2003, a committee was formed at the hospital for the purpose of creating a permanent art collection comprising pieces from schoolchildren and regional artists.

The 26-member volunteer committee consists of artists, art teachers, community supporters, hospital staff and board members.

In January, the committee chose 120 pieces from artists in the Williamsville schools to hang in the hospital's gallery. A reception was held for the high school artists on Jan. 27.

While the committee is supposed to choose only 50 paintings from each school district, the members could not make the necessary cuts to the Williamsville artwork and accepted more than twice the allotted number from the district.

The art committee's goal with the collection, according to the hospital Web site, is "to enhance the hospital environment because evidence shows a direct correlation between patients' recovery and their environment."

The gallery now includes more than 250 pieces.

Recently featured pieces are showcased in the hospital's cafeteria. Afterwards, they are moved to a wing in the hospital. The art committee's goal is to decorate each hallway and all patient rooms.

"Eventually, when the hospital is filled we'd love to have a traveling group of artwork," said Barb Heller, an art committee member. "And we would have the long-term (patients) pick what they want in their room."

"I think it's such a great idea that the hospital has. It's definitely therapeutic for the patients," said Mary Alice Trbovich, Mary's mother.

Mary, along with the other elementary school artists from Williamsville schools, was honored for her contribution to the gallery on March 24.

Each pupil featured received a certificate with his or her painting copied onto it.

To view Mary's art and other pieces in the collection, visit wchob.kaleidahealth.org/art/in dex.asp.