By Grace Frost
The Kilmore Mosaic Artisans Group, MAGs, have donated a three-panel mosaic piece as a gesture of gratitude to Kilmore District Health, KDH.
The mosaic, titled ‘Now and Then’, depicts the history of Kilmore District Health, with reference to a multitude of services, staff, facilities and patients at various stages of life’s health journey.
A team of eight women, led by project coordinator Marina Villani, worked on the project for two years between COVID-19 lockdowns before finally seeing it installed in the front entrance of KDH in July.
Completely unfunded, artists described the project as representing ‘a labour of love and appreciation for our very special hospital and its role in our community’.
Ms Villani remembers first contacting Sue Race, the then chief executive of KDH, in February 2020 to offer a mosaic in a token of appreciation.
“Sue did not hesitate. The foyer was sadly in need of cheering up and we agreed on a three panel mural that would cover an area 1.4 metres high and three metres wide,” Ms Villani said.
“As a group we wanted to create a piece where people would look, discover, revisit and discover again.”
Finally seeing the vision come to life, Ms Villani and the Kilmore MAGs members say the finished piece captures the scope of Kilmore Health’s role in the community.
“There is so much hidden detail just sitting there in plain sight,” Ms Villani said.
Kilmore District Health chief executive Arish Naresh said the health organisation was grateful to receive the mosaic art piece and have it displayed in the hospital’s main entrance to welcome visitors to the facility.
“The art piece is a beautiful representation of the evolving health system and its importance to the community,” he said.
“The health service exists due to the generosity and leadership of community members who have gifted time, effort and gifts such as the art piece we have received from Marina.”
‘Now and Then’ is not the first mural to be completed by the Kilmore MAGs, who first gathered in 2017 to create and donate works of mosaic art to the community.
‘Reflections of Kilmore’, completed in December 2018, is hung in Oddfellows Cafe, while mural ‘Pyalong Poppies’ was donated to the Pyalong Neighbourhood House in recognition of their service to the broader community.
Ms Villani said the MAGs latest achievement ‘Now and Then’ reflected the team’s hard work, perseverance and growth as artists.
“The group began as an enthusiastic gathering of raw learners but in this last piece of work you see the skill and achievement of five years of hard unswerving dedication and learning,” she said.
‘Now and Then’ comprises primarily of glass, each piece cut individually to size, as well as stone, fused glass detail, photos in glass, murini and embellishments.
The Kilmore MAGs members who produced ‘Now and Then’ under the guidance of Ms Villani were Sue Gibbs, Jill Mattei, Joan Grindley, Leanne McKenna, Elaine Findlow, Kerry Nugent and Glenda Farnay.
