St Joseph’s Hospice is showcasing a series of paintings, pastels and drawings as part of a new art-driven fundraising initiative.
Local artist Rosalie Cass is the first individual to have her Fine Art showcased at Joe’s Gallery, a corner of the hospice – located in Victoria, Hackney – dedicated to local people’s art.
“I think St Joseph’s is wonderful. Artists usually don’t have an opportunity to see their work come together and be showcased in a perfect setting,” she said.
The paintings cost between £95 – £300, with 15% of all profits donated to St Joseph’s.
Local artist, Rosalie Cass, will be exhibiting in Joe’s Gallery until the end of November. Rosalie specialises in pastels, paintings & drawings. Pop in, take a look and why not treat yourself to a beautiful piece of art while supporting the hospice https://t.co/8uP6OXUZBs pic.twitter.com/eb3TO3V6iP
— St Joseph's Hospice (@StJoHospice) November 13, 2018
“The exhibition is open up to patients, relatives and the wider public,” according to Samantha Nasser, Head of Marketing and Communications at St Joseph’s. “It’s been wonderful to see patients coming to have a look at the artwork and we have had a lot of good feedback from the community.”
St Joseph’s employs around 350 people but also relies on 600 or so volunteers. Without them, staff say, the hospice could not function. “We’re very reliant on fundraising, volunteers and our community, who are very good at giving us what they can,” said Ms Nasser. St Joseph’s only receives 56% of its funding from the NHS, which means they rely on charity fundraising to deliver the best services.
Despite concerns about cuts to health and social care services at a national level, Nasser remains optimistic. “All hospices are dependent on a government injection,” she admitted, “but we look at lots of different fundraising opportunities. We rent out office space and have a nursery space. These are good ways of making money.”
Rosalie’s work will be on display at St Joseph’s Hospice until November 30.
