Shining Through

The latest from Hollywood on the Potomac.

Dr. Christopher Kalhorn, Annemarie Ryan, Dr. David Song — Photo by Julie Chase

Written by Guest Contributor Julie Chase

Georgetowner and American abstract and color field artist Annemarie Ryan donated 16 pieces of mixed-media works on canvas and paper from her Shining Through series to the Verstandig Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital on December 5th. Wrapping around the Atrium in the Emily and Neil Kishter Lobby of the Pavilion, her vibrant three-dimensional paintings that dramatically showcase her bold and deliberate use of color, joyfully invites the viewer onto a pathway of hope, inspiration and healing. Annemarie’s generous gift was made in appreciation of the expert and compassionate care both she and her husband received under the guidance of physicians, nurses, and staff at MedStar Georgetown.

“I conceived and painted these works to speak to the viewer about the daunting challenges we all encounter as members of the global human family, and I invite the viewer onto a shining, optimistic pathway of faith, hope, love, and healing,” said Annemarie.

Annemarie was born in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia and she and her husband Tom are long-time residents of Georgetown. Her paintings have been exhibited in the US and abroad, including Miami Art Basel, La Biennale di Venezia, Le Grande Palais in Paris, as well as in galleries in New York City, Miami, and Mexico City. Her work also has been featured in various publications such as Condé Nast and Artnet News, is catalogued on Artsy, and can be found in private collections throughout the US.

Guests attending the uplifting reveal and champagne toast that concluded the meaningful tributes from MedStar’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Song and Neurosurgery Director Dr. Christopher Kalhorn, included Nancy Taylor Bubes, Jennifer and David Romm, Betsy Emes, Dr. Buffy Miles and Tony Miles, Amalie Reichblum, Dana Kuhar, Florence and Frank Auld, Fabiola Martens and Spiros Voyadzis, and Constance Chatfield.

“Despite their differences, both art and surgery share a common purpose – to restore wholeness, or what we refer to in the Medstar Georgetown tradition as cura personalis — care for the whole person,” said Christopher Kalhorn, MD, Department of Neurosurgery, director, Epilepsy & Functional Neurosurgery, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. “Surgery heals the body physically while art heals the heart and the mind. Together these two disciplines remind us that healing is a holistic process that involves both the body and the soul. We are honored that Annemarie’s work will be a constant force of healing and light for our patients and their families.”