May 2, 2008

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, M.D., director

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“What we play is life.” 
~Louis Armstrong

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
~Pablo Picasso

Two quotes about art and expression. That’s because this week we opened a permanent and very special art exhibit at the DHS Training Center in Salem. I was looking forward to the event and walked in expecting to enjoy myself, but I experienced something far more than that -- I found it a deeply moving and inspirational display of the human spirit.

For those of you who don’t know the background, the paintings, drawings and collages now on display at the Training Center were created by DHS clients -- patients at the Oregon State Hospital,

Artists Job Erickson and Mark Bishop, and Sara Slack, art therapist at Oregon State Hospital (the woman in blue), at the dedication ceremony.

At the Barbara Roberts Human Services Building in Salem we have a photo display called “The People We Serve.” Those photos and the art exhibit at the Training Center remind us of our humanity. The art vividly portrays the feelings of people who share the same fears, desires and hopes as the rest of us have for our lives.

I saw the creativity in our clients that exists in all of us. The creativity I see DHS employees express in the workplace and the creativity we express in our private lives through a variety of  pursuits -- painting, sculpture, music, weaving, poetry, writing, wood work, cooking and more.

All individuals have an innate human desire to create, to express ourselves. We as DHS employees share that desire with our clients. The artwork in this exhibit connects us in a truly personal manner that transcends and enriches our professional relationships.

Artist Corbin Chanter and his mother Scarlett Chanter of Lake Oswego.

And I think it’s particularly meaningful that this collection, which was pulled together by five members of the 2007-2008 Leadership Academy as its graduation project, has been placed at the Training Center on Cherry Avenue. Training -- education -- is about more than just learning rules and regulations. It is about looking within and growing, exposing ourselves to new concepts, sharing ideas, experiencing and leading change, and trying creative solutions. How appropriate that we will be able to view expressions of the human spirit’s creativity at this location.

I’ve included some photos of the exhibit and dedication within this message so you can share in the experience. You will find a larger collection of photos on the DHS Web site. I encourage you to take a few moments during your free time to view them.  I also want to encourage you to brighten and enrich all of our buildings and workspaces, and further our connections to each other and our clients. 

The work we do for our clients is very important, and their lives are equally important.  We are linked not only through our work, but more importantly through the essence of our humanity. These pieces of art make that clear.

To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us

This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.