Adopt-a-painting

Adopted paintings earn money for new School of Nursing garden

Debra K. Hearington, a clinical assistant professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing, is a single mother of four adopted children. Each day on her way to work, Hearington found herself drawn to one of the paintings adorning the walls of the new School of Nursing building.

To her, “Tree Line,” a lonely yet peaceful landscape, echoed the isolation of the world’s many orphans. Through a new program developed by the School of Nursing, Hearington “adopted” the painting, which she then dedicated to adopted children worldwide.

Many others are taking the opportunity offered by the Adopt-a-Painting program to recognize a special nurse, friend, family member or cause in their life. They adopt one of the 128 original, large-scale watercolors created and donated by Dr. W. Baxter Perkinson Jr., a 1970 School of Dentistry graduate.

“I knew the nursing school needed this collection because there wasn’t the budget for art,” Perkinson said. “[Dean] Nancy Langston was always telling me that art fuels caring and healing, and that’s why she considers nursing an art.”

Perkinson’s paintings can be adopted for a donation of $1,000 or more. When a painting is adopted, the donor can honor someone special with an inscription added to the painting’s information plaque. Since last spring, nearly 100 of the paintings have been adopted, raising more than $96,000.

Proceeds from the Adopt-a-Painting program will go toward construction of a garden in the courtyard of the new nursing building.

“A garden for the school of nursing will only add to the aesthetic appeal of our gorgeous new building,” said nursing student Mary Hill. “It will be so nice to have a little bit of nature in our backyard, because it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the stress of living, working and studying in a concrete jungle. Being able to enjoy new growth every spring will be refreshing and something that future students can look forward to each year.”

The garden is expected to begin construction in spring 2008 and will hopefully become available to students and staff by the summer.

Hearington, who earned multiple nursing degrees at VCU and has been a faculty member in the School of Nursing since 1985, was excited to have the opportunity to give back to the school in such a unique way.

“Symbolically,” Hearington said, “I think the paintings represent the artistic side and the beauty of nursing. There is no other profession quite like it. When people adopt a painting, they are owning a little piece of this school and its mission. What a contribution!”

For more information on the Adopt-a-Painting program, please contact Kelly Gotschalk in the School of Nursing, at (804) 828-2993, or e-mail kjgotschalk@vcu.edu.