The Central Australia Health Service welcomes the donation of artwork by local artist Kaye Kessing, which will brighten up the Emergency Paediatrics Unit in the Alice Springs Hospital’s Emergency Department.

“We have a new Emergency Paediatrics Unit and the décor was rather ‘vanilla’ so we wanted to reduce the austerity of a place that can be very frightening to children” said Dr Stephen Gourley, Director of the Emergency Department at the Alice Springs Hospital.

 “Kaye’s artwork was great for distracting children during sometimes painful procedures and we wanted it returned to being a culturally appropriate space,” Dr Gourley said.

A total of eleven pictures documenting the coming of feral animals to the Red Centre will be installed around the Paediatric Unit.

“It was important to us to use a local artist and we also wanted to find a way bring art into the Emergency Department while adhering to strict health guidelines,” Dr. Gourley said.

“I would like to thank Farida Khawaja, Specialist Clinician in the Emergency Department, for her efforts in organising the images for the Paediatric Unit.”

The images, originally from the Araluen Art Centre Collection, have been reproduced and printed onto adhesive vinyl and will be adhered to the walls of the Emergency Department for easy cleaning.

The Board of the Central Australia Health Service funded the printing of the images.

“The paintings came from an exhibition I did years ago where it took a lot of research and local knowledge to be able to get an environmental message across in a pictorial form,” Kaye Kessing said.

The artwork will be installed this morning in the Emergency Department.

Media Contact: Dylan Gilliland 8951 5259 or 0401 114 113