Healthy Dose of Art at Marshfield Clinic’s Gallery
The picture of health has a new meaning at Marshfield Clinic.
The well-known clinic prides itself on top patient care, but there is also something unusual about the unassuming medical center on North Oak Avenue – it doubles as home to a nonprofit museum and art gallery.
New Visions Gallery resides in a 1,600-square-foot space in the lobby of the Marshfield Clinic’s Marshfield Center location. Since 1975, the gallery has been providing a delightful diversion for those awaiting procedures or appointments.
“It’s a unique setup, because we get a lot of visitors who would not normally venture out to an art gallery, as well as many who would, ” says Mary Peck, New Visions Gallery director.
Peck says Marshfield Clinic is committed to the philosophy that art can provide comfort and visual stimulation to patients, staff and visitors.
The gallery houses a variety of art, including Japanese prints, Haitian paintings, Aboriginal art and West African sculpture and masks. These permanent exhibits are located throughout the clinic and are open to the public.
In addition, rotating exhibits feature a variety of art forms such as national traveling exhibitions, noteworthy works on loan from private and public collections, and work from local artists and students.
“The student show gets a good response,” Peck says. “It showcases emerging local talent from students grades K-12.”
Each summer the gallery organizes a national exhibit titled “Culture and Agriculture.” This yearly ag-themed display is popular because the subject matter is easy for the community to relate to, Peck says.
“The exhibit brings people in with a familiar theme and then shows them something they might not anticipate through the use of contemporary and unexpected media,” Peck says.
A volunteer board of directors and a team of more than 70 volunteers work to help make the gallery a success and participate in an annual fundraiser, Fun d’Arts, to help generate the funds needed to keep the gallery going. They are also involved with Marshfield Art Fair, held annually on Mother’s Day.
The Gallery Shop lets visitors take a piece of the gallery home with them while helping fund the exhibits. Shoppers can purchase jewelry, pottery, woodenware, glass, journals, art reproduction cards and more, which are created by talented artisans from across the country.
New Visions Gallery also provides educational services to the community by offering guided school tours, lectures, demonstrations and workshops.
Through its educational offerings and conveniently located exhibits, the New Visions Gallery in the Marshfield Clinic provides an unexpected dose of culture to the thousands of people who walk through its hallways each day.
Story by Laura Gallagher
