May 16, 2014
West Columbia, S.C. – Nine Lexington County high school students have received prizes and awards in the 5th annual “Art of Healing,” a juried art competition for Lexington County high school students sponsored by Lexington Medical Center. The students created projects including paintings, photographs and sculptures that each depict their interpretation of healing.
Art teachers from Lexington County high schools each chose one student’s artwork per school to enter. All artwork had to incorporate healing or health. Steven Ford, owner of Steven Ford Interiors, Jane Przybysz, executive director of the McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina, and Michael Story, an award-winning fine artist, judged the entries and selected the winners.
“We wanted to give students the opportunity to express their interpretation of ‘healing’ through artwork,” said Barbara Willm, vice president of Community Relations. “Every year, the quality of artwork impresses us more and more. It is a wonderful experience for students to have their artwork displayed at the Columbia Museum of Art for our community to see.”
Many of the students’ entries shared inspirational personal stories of family members’ health challenges and recovery.
Students received their awards at a reception at the Columbia Museum of Art on April 22. The students, their teachers, school administrators, hospital board members and staff, and museum employees attended. Barbara Willm and Columbia Museum of Art Chief Curator Will South presented the awards. The work was on display for a month at the Columbia Museum of Art.
Congratulations to all winners!
1st Prize
Megan Rinehart, Chapin High School
2nd Prize
Dilay Kuebra Gezer, Irmo High School
3rd Prize
Savannah Moore, Lexington High School
Juror’s Choice
Megan Baker, Dutch Fork High School
Leah Furst, Swansea High School
Blythe Lybrand, Spring Hill High School
Honorable Mention
Alexis Lester, Dutch Fork High School
Holly McDermott, Irmo High School
Reagan Tedder, Spring Hill High School
Photo Caption:
Columbia Museum of Art Chief Curator Will South, first prize winner Megan Rinehart of Chapin High School and Lexington Medical Center Vice President of Community Relations Barbara Willm.
Lexington Medical Center is a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It anchors a health care network that includes five community medical centers and employs a staff of more than 8,000 health care professionals. The hospital is ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro and #2 hospital in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and was named one of the “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” by SC Biz News, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Lexington Medical Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence and has a clinical research and education affiliation with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and more than 70 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies.
