Homerton Hospital to launch new exhibition honouring its long bond with local artist

Homerton Hospital is to celebrate its 33-year relationship with local artist and school teacher Rosemary Phelps with a special commemorative exhibition launching next month.

The display, which will be on show in the hospital’s main corridor, will feature one of Phelps’ paintings alongside a selection of work by her former pupils.

Phelps, an abstract painter and sculptor, and an ex-art teacher at Mandeville Primary School, has collaborated with the hospital since it opened in 1986.

Twenty-five years ago, she created and led a project that saw local pupils paint hoardings to line the walls of the psychiatric unit.

She has also put on four exhibitions in the hospital’s education centre since 1998, and her work still hangs in the fertility clinic.

In her teaching days, she would often take children to the Homerton for visits, giving them an opportunity to see the art on display, but also to experience what goes on inside a hospital.

According to the Homerton’s art curator Shaun Caton, on one occasion Phelps brought along 35 children to paint alongside patients with brain injuries in the Regional Neurological Rehabilitation Unit.

He added: “Frank Dobson MP dropped in on the lively art workshop and admired the paintings so much that he managed to get green paint on one of his shoes – much to his good humour.”

Phelps also showed children around the x-ray department, where staff showed pupils what goes on behind the scenes, including how the images are created.

A number of children taught by Phelps have gone on to work at the hospital, which remains the largest employer in the borough.

In recent years, she has served as an expert adviser to the hospital’s Art Steering Group, which determines the programme of exhibitions.

Caton said: “Rosemary has devoted 33 years of voluntary service to the Homerton and her achievements are completely amazing.

“We are proud to honour her innovative work with a new display that commemorates some of the many projects she has made happen.”

The exhibition will be open from March onwards.