Skip to content

What lies beneath the hospital? (15 photos)

White Pines art students brighten drab, private tunnel underneath Sault Area Hospital to cheer staff; gallery officially opened Thursday

Thursday marked the official ribbon cutting ceremony at Sault Area Hospital’s Tunnel Gallery (also known provisionally as the White Pines iCcare Tunnel Gallery).

The tunnel’s walls are now lined with artwork done by Grade 9 and Grade 12 White Pines Collegiate art students.

The basement floor tunnel is private, used by SAH employees to enter and leave work each day.

The artwork is meant to cheer and inspire SAH employees as they go to what is often a life and death job (literally) at the hospital, and to basically brighten up an underground walkway.

“They’ve done an amazing job of brightening up this space, it was a pleasure for us to work with the staff at White Pines, it was an amazing collaboration,” said Angie Gervasi, SAH transformation department consultant, adding she hopes the partnership between SAH and White Pines art students will continue on an ongoing basis.

SAH staff and White Pines staff and students mingled at Thursday’s  ribbon cutting.

“It started out as a dismal space, very plain, cement and artificial light, a long walk in a plain tunnel, so I reached out to the art students on a suggestion from a colleague and it just turned into such an amazing transformation for the tunnel, it’s a great way for the staff to come in and see some colour and get some energy from it,” Gervasi told SooToday.

“The feedback has been nothing but positive. The staff is rejuvenated, they’re pulling really positive vibes from it, they take their time now coming through the tunnel, they stop and take time and look and enjoy every piece on the wall.”

It all began when SAH first reached out to local schools about the art project.

“(White Pines principal) Joey Turco received Angie’s email and he embraced the opportunity because it aligned with our school’s project based learning initiative,” said Nicole Battocchio, White Pines Collegiate teacher.

Other work-as-a-team, project based learning projects at the Pines have involved organizing a Thanksgiving dinner for the school community, redesigning the school’s cafeteria and designing a greenhouse to be built on school property.

Demonstrating Alternative Realistic Expectations (DARE) students at White Pines also pitched in to build easels for the art students as they worked on the project, said Corrie Da Costa of White Pines student services. 

“We’re very proud of the accomplishments at all levels, the Sault Area Hospital staff, the White Pines staff and students,” Battocchio said.

 


What's next?


If you would like to apply to become a Verified reader Verified Commenter, please fill out this form.




Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
Read more