Hospital receives Maguire award

For Southeast Missouri Hospital, healing and the arts go hand in hand, which is why the organization was chosen as the recipient of this year's Jeff Maguire Friend of the Arts Award.

In only the fourth year the award has been given, Southeast is the first organization to win the honor. The Friend of the Arts award began in 2002 to honor people and organizations who aren't known as artists but who promote the arts in the community. Sam Blackwell, managing editor of the Southeast Missourian, was the award's first recipient for his work as the then-Arts and Leisure editor of the newspaper.

The award was named in honor of the late Jeff Maguire last year for his commitment to the art community.

Arts Council director Rebecca Fulgham said Southeast Missouri Hospital embodies the spirit of the award through its constant promotion of arts both in the hospital and in the community. The hospital has sponsored the Arts Council's Children's Arts Festival for three years and the Art for the Health of It competition.

The hospital also exhibits work from local artists in its facilities.

Receiving the award reflects the sound partnership between the hospital and Arts Council, said hospital marketing director Nancy Bray, who accepted the award.

"We really do believe in the therapeudic value of music and visual arts," which offer a different kind of stimulus from electronic media, she said.

-- Matt Sanders, Julia Metelski