Oaklawn Auxiliary opens annual art show and award ceremony

MARSHALL – A total of 262 pieces of original art created by Marshall area students are on display for the public to view at Oaklawn Hospital.

Works by the 262 participating students will be shown in the hospital’s lobby at 200 N. Madison St. through Sunday, May 14, after which they will be installed throughout the hospital and at Oaklawn’s Bear Creek Campus, 15209 W. Michigan Ave.

The annual Oaklawn Hospital Auxiliary Student Spring Art Show began with an evening reception Friday, May 5. Auxiliary Co-President Kathy VanDerMeulen the reception’s hostess, presented the artworks to William DeSmet, Oaklawn’s Executive Director of Business Development and Ancillary Services.

All artworks on display will be the creations of students from Marshall Public Schools as well as the Mar Lee School and Marshall Academy.

As a highlight of the event, Sydney Banfield was named recipient of the $1,000 Hayes-Oaklawn Auxiliary-Oaklawn Hospital Art Scholarship, which is awarded to a participating high school senior who plans to pursue education in health care or art.

Banfield, a Marshall High School senior, is the daughter of Brad and Vicki Banfield of Marshall.

 Sydney “has always had the motivation to be creative both at school and at home,” art teacher Melissa Winchell wrote in her recommendation. “She has enrolled in visual art classes for all four years of her high school career, and continuously pushes herself to improve her skills.”

Winchell said Sydney’s “work ethic and dedication are a great inspiration to her peers, and I am pleased to say that she will be continuing her study of art by studying graphic design at Kendall College of Art and Design next fall.” The school is based in Grand Rapids.

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants submit paintings or drawings to the art show, along with two other pieces of art in any medium for additional consideration.

The Framers’ Choice Award was presented to Carly Holcomb, daughter of Ron and Dawn Holcomb of Marshall and a junior at Marshall High School. The award was presented by Patrice Marquardt of Marshall Framing Studio.

Carly’s creation was “hands-down the absolute winner because of the creativity, precision, attention to detail and overall appeal,” Marquardt said.

Marquardt also presented an honorable-mention Framers’ Choice Award to Marshall Academy kindergartner Eli Denhollander, son of Keith and Rebecca Denhollander of Marshall.

Eli’s artwork “made us laugh every time we walked by it,” Marquardt said. “It gave us big smiles. It showed different personalities of different kinds of people, and we like that.”

The art show receives support from members of the Oaklawn Hospital Auxiliary, Oaklawn Hospital, the Marshall Public Schools, Mar Lee School, Marshall Academy and Marshall Framing Studio.

Participating students are from Marshall High School; Marshall Middle School; Gordon, Hughes and Walters elementary schools; Mar-Lee School; and Marshall Academy. For more information, call (269) 789-7903.