McMullen Gallery, University of Alberta Hospital

Early in the morning Donna Clement and I packed the car then headed north to Edmonton to the University of Alberta Hospital McMullen Gallery to install our work.

The large gallery space was daunting as we laid out our work. But with help of family members we found a place for everything by early evening.

Donna Clement and my artists' reception at the McMullen Gallery on April 24th was most successful. We received lots of positive comments about our work. I feel so good about having work in this particular gallery. It is a special place run by very positive people. It is a refuge from the stress and activity going on in the rest of the hospital. They have a programme called Art on the Ward where patients can request visual and performing artists to visit them at their bedside. While we were conducting a workshop a student came in with a guitar on his back and asked where he should go. A patient had requested to listen to some guitar music and the student was on his way to play for him. A poet stopped by to organise his papers before going onto a ward to read to a patient. People came to the gallery just to sit and look, including staff in their lunch hour. It is a peaceful place.

The show is over and it is time to take the exhibition down. It has been a most enjoyable experience to exhibit in this gallery. The staff & volunteers couldn't do enough for us, the ambience of the space is nurturing and the visitors so appreciative. Donna & I are looking forward to exhibiting with our group Articulation in the McMullen in April/May/June 2009 with a new body of work resulting from our week together studying the architecture of downtown Winnipeg.

After packing up our work in the McMullen Gallery, Donna & I had to battle through several typical prairie summer thunderstorms on the drive back to Calgary. Strong winds, heavy rain, lightening all around and a tornado warning with 2 of my biggest work in the back of a pick up was a bit of a worry but we all made it safely.