RANDOLPH, Vt.—Paintings and photographs by local artists are on display through early July in the Gifford Gallery at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph and at Strode Independent Living in Randolph Center. The exhibits are free and open to the public.
Jennifer Dembinski, whose paintings hang at Gifford, is a resident of Woodstock. Her pieces include “Muskrat Meal,” an acrylic; “Emergence,” a watercolor showcasing spring flowers breaking through dead leaves; and “Pastoral Scene, Clay Hill Road,” an acrylic with sheep dotting a riverside scene.
In her artist statement, Dembinksi, who has a degree in art history from the University of Vermont, says, “Art will always remain my language of choice and a source of deep contentment. I love to try different media and learn new techniques.”
Up the road, the gallery space at Strode features wildlife and landscape photographs taken by Starr Strong of Randolph. Strong, a retired Gifford physician assistant, comes from a long line of photographers who taught her a deep appreciation for not only photography but also nature and animals.
“My parents were both interested in learning about photography and were in a camera club,” she says. “They got me looking at the world in that way, and also taught me to love wilderness, to love animals—and travel. My mother especially loved exploring new places and wilderness. I have continued that.”
Strong’s images feature subjects photographed during her many trips—to Africa, Alaska, the Galápagos, Canada’s tundra, and here in Vermont.
By displaying photos [of these animals], my idea is, if you see it, maybe you’ll love it,” says Strong, a longtime supporter of the World Wildlife Fund.
The Gifford Gallery is located just inside the hospital’s main entrance at 44 S. Main St., Route 12, in Randolph. Strode Independent Living is part of Morgan Orchards Senior Living Community, located at 89 Tom Wicker Lane in Randolph Center. Artwork may be purchased by visiting the Gifford Development, Marketing and Public Relations Department, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 802-728-2380.
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CONTACT: Maryellen Apelquist, Communications Manager,
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Gifford is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, and Rochester, and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit; many surgical services; an adult day program; 49-unit independent living facility, and a nursing home. The hospital’s mission is to improve individual and community health by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care in Gifford’s service area.
