HOULTON, Maine — After several long months spent reviewing photographs, songs and personal writings, Susan York has unveiled her 108-piece mural for local residents to see.
York, a native of Houlton who now resides in Shokan, New York, is an award winning artist and author who decided the best way for her to raise awareness for a cause that affects her personally would be to put paint to paper.
For the past four months, she has been working on her 108-piece mural titled “Gathering Goodness Mosaic.” The project stems from the more than 600 shared submissions of stories, photos and music of peace, joy, and love that she gathered through her Kickstarter project. The mosaic is made of 108 individual paintings that form a painted quilt or mosaic as shield to cancer, world ills and negativity.
The artwork is now on display on the first floor of Houlton Regional Hospital and will remain through mid-September. The pictures are arranged in a specific pattern to create images of hands reaching out, and other hidden images for viewers to look for.
“It’s a little overpowering to see it all put together for the first time,” York said.
She is also writing a book based on the experience of painting the mural and reading so many personal stories from the many individuals who sent in submissions.
“One of the things that surprised me is that there is so much pain and sorrow that people shared with me,” she said. “The reassuring thing, though, is that they found peace in their struggles and felt so alive after sharing. That combination I tried my best to represent it. I hope that feeling will wrap around people the same way it did me.”
York has been painting and making art in one form or another since she was 3 years old. Her paintings aim to tell stories celebrating life, preferably in a series, like books or murals. Her current project was motivated by an experience she had three years ago when she was diagnosed with stage 3C ovarian cancer. She remembers feeling terrified sitting in a doctor’s office and being told she needed to have surgery in 8-10 days to remove a huge tumor or prepare to die. She asked everyone she knew to pray and send good thoughts to her.
“I’m honored to have this work shown here at Houlton Regional Hospital,” she said. “I am hoping it can affect patients, their caregivers and their supporters in a positive manner.”
Following the exhibit in Maine, the artwork will be transported and displayed in New Hampshire and New York, where York’s journey with cancer has taken her. Posters and other items will be available to purchase. The paintings themselves will not be sold until all three state exhibits are concluded.
