Art and Healing Exhibition at Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island features works by Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden, Alexander Calder, Lia Chang and other artists

Artist Lia Chang with her "Empire State Building at Dusk" (2007) photograph.

The HHC Foundation and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center has extended the 36-piece exhibit, “Art and Healing-Healthy for the Holidays,” part of the STAT! For New York City’s Public Hospitals! series of music and art events, through January 2, 2011, due to unprecedented popular demand. The exhibit was originally scheduled to close December 12 as part of the STAT! week-long series of events that both celebrate and benefit the work of the public hospitals and healthcare facilities in challenging times.

The exhibit has silk screens by Andy Warhol and Romare Bearden, a print by Alexander Calder, and a photograph by the renowned chronicler of life in Harlem, James VanDerZee. Photographs by Dawoud Bey, Lia Chang, and Edna Espasas are also on display. There are also works by African-American artists, like Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, VanDerZee, David Hammons, and Benny Andrews.

“The show is a just a gem,” said Lynn Bodnar Kelly, the new president and chief executive director of the Snug Harbor Cultura Center. “We’re fortunate to have a world renowned art collection here on the Island and its stay was extended so more people will have the opportunity to experience this rare cultural event.”

Art and Healing-Healthy for the Holidays,” presented by the HHC Foundation and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, on view through January 2, 2011. Photo by Gregory Pierre Mink

The exhibit at Snug Harbor represents part of more than 6,000 works of art that have been donated to the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) over many decades. The works of art were acquired through the sponsorship of state, federal and municipal programs such as the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Program (WPA/FAP), the New York City Department of Public Works, the Percent for Art and through generous donations from philanthropists, foundations, art organizations, and artists.

“I could be exhibiting anywhere in the world but my photography is focused on healing,” said Artist Lia Chang whose work, Empire State Building at Dusk, is featured at Snug Harbor. “It’s very special to me to be involved in displaying my work in the healing environments created by the public hospital system.”

The HHC collection includes a variety of art pieces in many mediums; prints, painting, mixed media, sculpture, and stained glass, which are installed throughout the main lobbies, waiting rooms, corridors, and patient rooms in HHC facilities to promote a feeling of warmth and to assist in the healing process.

“These pieces belong to the people of the city of New York and this art exists for the public good,” said Greg Mink, Senior Manager of the HHC art collection. “The purpose of art is to elevate and give people goals and ideals to aspire to. It adds to the City’s culture and that’s what the STAT! events are all about.”

The public is welcome to see Art and Healing-Healthy for the Holidays Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden is located at 1000 Richmond Terrace. Visit snug-harbor.org or call 718-448-2500 for additional information. The cost of admission is $3 for adults and $2 dollars for children and seniors.

HHC facilities on Staten Island include Mariner’s Harbor and Stapleton Family Health Centers, Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home and the HHC Health Connection Mobile Medical Office which serves five different communities across Staten Island throughout the week.

About the HHC Foundation
The HHC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), the nation’s largest municipal healthcare system. Partnerships are formed with the private sector to help increase the effectiveness of New York City’s public health system with innovative city wide initiatives, special programs, services, and capital projects created to improve the public’s health and well being.

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Other Articles by Lia Chang
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet,Tracee Chimo opening night of Neil LaBute’s The Break of Noon
André De Shields leads cast of Charles Smith’s Knock Me A Kiss at Abrons Arts Center
Photos & Video Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas-In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
Photo Call: BD Wong and the Cast of Heading East at the Asia Society
Crafting a Career
Awards, Exhibitions and Published Work
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.
As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and “New York Undercover”.
Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.
Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.