Baltimore, MD - On Thursday, July 6th, the Baltimore Convention Center hosted the unveiling of a new permanent installation created by student from Art with A Heart to honor the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital. The Center was joined by colleagues from the Maryland Department of Health, University of Maryland Medical System, and Johns Hopkins Medicine who partnered with the venue to develop and run the BCCFH.
Leaders including Dr. Mohan Suntha, President and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System, Kevin Sowers, President of Johns Hopkins Health System, Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services of the Maryland Department of Health, Dr. Charles Callahan, from University of Maryland Medical Center, and Dr. Mindy Kantsiper, from Johns Hopkins Medicine, spoke about their experiences throughout the pandemic and the impact the institution had on the state. The Center's Executive Director, Mac Campbell shared his remarks applauding the hard work of the venue's dedicated team including the Department of Operations, Department of Sales and Services, and the organization's service partners.
City Council President, Nick Moby was also in attendance and presented the Baltimore Convention Center with a City Council President Citation in reverence of the organization's hard work and willingness to serve Baltimore City.
Art with A Heart's students selected the Center for their Capstone Project and spoke about their process when creating the lustrous 43-piece mural. Student, Shyne Carter spoke about the symbolic meaning behind each aspect of the piece. When reflecting on the unity and teamwork behind each institute, AWAH thought about bees and how these species work in unison to maintain their colonies which is why students chose to work with hexagons representing a beehive. The work of art includes 1,495 hand-crafted clay beads representing the 1,495 patients the BCCFH served. Artifacts such as vaccine vials, medical caps, a stethoscope, and handwritten stories from individuals involved were also implemented.
When closing his statement, Executive Director Mac Campbell shared his gratitude for AWAH's contribution and stated, "We're so very grateful to be able to have a just wonderful representation behind us that will be here for years and years to come to remind folks of the work that was done."
"One Team. One Fight.", echoed throughout the BCCFH making all these efforts possible.
The BCCFH memorial can be viewed at the venue's Pratt Street Lobby Level 200.