Beth Ann McCormick

Program Specialist for the Pathologists’ Assistant Program here at WVU HSC. She works with Pathologists’ Assistant instructors and students on a daily basis in our program and has seen many interesting pictures and slides involving pathology and its process in the diagnosis of disease. She has been involved with The Health Sciences Center in different departments (Otolaryngology, Medicine, School of Medicine, and Pathology, Anatomy and Medical Lab Sciences) for over 25 years and this was one of the most striking photos that she has come across and felt that she needed to paint. "The brain is a very powerful organ, and as it controls almost everything we do, I found it a fantastic scientific subject to paint."

Dana Gray

Grants Administrator for the department of Pathology and the Research Coordinator for the Department of Surgery. She works with both WVU faculty and residents to help assure that their Research endeavors run smoothly from finding and submitting grants for funding, research budgets, post award management and research compliance. "This type of mixed media art uses beeswax; mixed with resin and sometimes pigments, and heat to create depth and texture to the beautiful landscapes that I capture right here in West Virginia.”

Randall Levelle

Program Manager at the West Virginia University (WVU) School of Nursing. A graduate of WVU with a MA in Public Administration. This particular tree is more than 250 years old. Time, and the elements have left this tree bent, gnarled, and clinging with tenacity to this wind and wave-swept rock pedestal. The characteristics of these trees – the sculpted aesthetics that result with this tree and other Monterey Cypress - give each a unique and eerily beautiful look-as well as strength and endurance against the elements. "The enchanting appeal of photography is capturing an interesting subject or scene at a particular moment in time. The quality of a more memorable work is that it leads the viewer to ask more about the subject."

Kimberly Rauscher

Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and an artist at heart. Inspired by her father, also a painter, she studied graphic design at the Art Institute of Boston. While her career path has led her to protecting the health and well-being of adolescent workers, she has always had a work of art in progress. She works primarily in acrylics. Brilliant colors and sharply delineated geometric designs are the hallmarks of her paintings.

Kimberly Rauscher

Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and an artist at heart. Inspired by her father, also a painter, she studied graphic design at the Art Institute of Boston. While her career path has led her to protecting the health and well-being of adolescent workers, she has always had a work of art in progress. She works primarily in acrylics. Brilliant colors and sharply delineated geometric designs are the hallmarks of her paintings.

Ben Silverberg

Joined the medical faculty at West Virginia University as an Assistant Professor in 2016, where he holds a dual appointment in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine, and works in Student Health, Travel Medicine, and Urgent Care. "A wind-torn Argentine flag salutes tourists who have ascended the ice sporting crampons (spiked shoes) and welding ice axes. Hikers would find chocolate and local liquor waiting for them at the end of their journey across the glacier.”

Denise Porter

Mammographer at WVU Medicine at the Betty Puskar Breast Care Center and at the Fairmont Gateway Clinic. She enjoys spending time with her family, camping, biking, kayaking, and reading as well as oil painting. She has been painting for 2 years. "I met my husband while I was in Radiology school. He is originally from New York so this was my inspiration for this painting."

Ismail Asad

WVU undergraduate in his junior year studying biology and minoring in business administration. He comes from a far away land called Indiana, specifically the greater Indianapolis region. He is currently researching differential gene expression in drought and salt stressed Poplar plants under Dr. Steve DiFazio in the Biology department. "These natural building blocks reflect how nature is always a part of enhancing the patient’s experience in one way or another."

In collaboration with Health Sciences Center, this display includes a range of two and three dimensional work by people who work in health industries at WVU, including photography, painting, ceramics and more, with topics ranging from landscape to health to abstract expression.

Viewers can take pause and reflect in the geometric abstractions of School of Public Health Associate Professor Kimberly Rauscher; recognize the power of play and visual perspective in Department of Pathology Program Specialist Beth Ann McCormick's painted ceramic plate; see the passion for travel in the photography of Family Medicine Physician Benjamin Silverberg; take in the calming outdoor scenes of School of Nursing INSPIRE Grant Manager Randall Levelle's photograph; the beautiful tiny moment of Surgery Research Coordinator Dana Gray's mixed media; the tranquil landscape painting by Mammographer Denise Porter; the multi-meaningful symbolism in the digital print by pre-medical student Ismail Asad.

What do YOU think? For the chance to win a prize, visitors are invited to a write a response to the artwork in this exhibit. Submissions should be limited to one page and sent to juror Jason Kapcala at jason.kapcala@mail.wvu.edu by Dec. 15. Kapcala is the author of North to Lakeville and interim director of the Office of Accessibility Services.

First place winner will receive a signed copy of Kapcala’s book; the second place winner will receive a signed copy of Roundabout Directions to Lincoln Center by Renee K. Nicholson, professor of Multidisciplinary Studies and Narrative Medicine project director.

Details: exhibits.lib.wvu.edu.