Art for Life

Opening Celebration

Friday, June 28, 2002
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Exhibition viewing and refreshments
A short program will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Free; for reservations call the Weisman events line at 612-626

Art for Life

Doctors are trained to be keen observers of other people's conditions. They note the slightest increase in white blood cell counts, detect skin discoloration and interpret its meaning, note the saltiness of a child's skin that can indicate serious illness. They are keen observers of life and life changes. Turning these finely honed observation skills inward is a less familiar exercise, even for doctors. But that is exactly what Dr. Harold Adams had to do when confronted with his own serious medical condition. He turned his observation, documentation and interpretation skills toward the canvas - and through painting, chronicled his own journey into and through a disease. Art for Life opens at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum on July 9 and runs through October 27, 2002.

During his 30 years of practicing obstetrics and gynecology in a St. Paul hospital Adams delivered many babies and dedicated his professional career to being a conduit for delivery of life. In 1980, he was sent home from the Mayo Clinic with the devastating diagnosis of chronic aggressive hepatitis B, which the doctors believed he had contracted two years earlier while performing surgery. "I was offered no hope for recovery, no encouragement," Adams said.

Adams' technique requires using a sander as freely as a paintbrush. His paintings involve layers of paint, sanded to a glassy-like surface.

He sometimes incorporates materials such as paint dust, tar, sand, and burlap into the painting. His technique allows the viewer to see symmetrically, and sometimes literally, each painting as a process of transformation.

Through Adams' life as an artist, insights have been clarified, teachings have been challenged, and observational skills have been perfected. The result is a collection of passionate paintings that depict a very personal journey by a man who, when confronted by the gravity of death, discovered the life-affirming grace and power of art.

The opening celebration for Art for Life is Friday, June 28 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. A short program will begin at 7:00 p.m. This event if free. For reservations please call the Weisman events line at 612-626-4747.



Opening Celebration Friday, June 28, 2002 6:30-8:00 p.m. Exhibition viewing and refreshments A short program will begin at 7:00 p.m. Free; for reservations call the Weisman events line at 612-626 *Art for Life* Doctors are trained to be keen observers of other people's conditions. They note the slightest increase in white blood cell counts, detect skin discoloration and interpret its meaning, note the saltiness of a child's skin that can indicate serious illness. They are keen observers of life and life changes. Turning these finely honed observation skills inward is a less familiar exercise, even for doctors. But that is exactly what Dr. Harold Adams had to do when confronted with his own serious medical condition. He turned his observation, documentation and interpretation skills toward the canvas - and through painting, chronicled his own journey into and through a disease. Art for Life opens at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum on July 9 and runs through October 27, 2002. During his 30 years of practicing obstetrics and gynecology in a St. Paul hospital Adams delivered many babies and dedicated his professional career to being a conduit for delivery of life. In 1980, he was sent home from the Mayo Clinic with the devastating diagnosis of chronic aggressive hepatitis B, which the doctors believed he had contracted two years earlier while performing surgery. "I was offered no hope for recovery, no encouragement," Adams said. Adams' technique requires using a sander as freely as a paintbrush. His paintings involve layers of paint, sanded to a glassy-like surface. He sometimes incorporates materials such as paint dust, tar, sand, and burlap into the painting. His technique allows the viewer to see symmetrically, and sometimes literally, each painting as a process of transformation. Through Adams' life as an artist, insights have been clarified, teachings have been challenged, and observational skills have been perfected. The result is a collection of passionate paintings that depict a very personal journey by a man who, when confronted by the gravity of death, discovered the life-affirming grace and power of art. The opening celebration for Art for Life is Friday, June 28 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. A short program will begin at 7:00 p.m. This event if free. For reservations please call the Weisman events line at 612-626-4747.