Local artwork expresses journey with cancer

When Delores Osborne was told there was no cure for her husband’s brain tumor, she noticed a fern that sat at the end of the hall at the hospital in Rochester, Minn.

“It was the end of the hall, the end of his treatment and the end of his life,” said Osborne, of Mitchell.

That image, along with the memories from her and her husband’s journey in his battle with cancer, was motivation for her to enter artwork in the Eli Lilly Oncology on Canvas art contest and exhibition. Osborne entered a watercolor painting of the fern, titled “The End,” and included a short narrative of her husband’s battle with cancer.

An exhibition of Osborne’s and other entries at the Avera Cancer Center in Mitchell was created as a way to honor the journey of those whose lives have been affected by cancer, said Trish Delaney, vice president of marketing at Avera Queen of Peace.

The event accepts one piece of artwork per participant to be judged at the national level. Winners receive $10,000, which is donated to their charity of choice.

Avera has hosted the exhibition twice. Each exhibition typically includes 50 pieces of artwork, Delaney said. But this is the first time the cancer center has worked to submit pieces of art.

Six art classes, sponsored by the hospital, were held in conjunction with the “Oncology on Canvas” program. Local artists such as Lelia Guilbert, David Cantrell and Sandy Krage taught the classes.

There were nine entries in this year’s contest, created in mediums such as photographs, watercolors, oil paintings and collages. A public reception was held Tuesday.

“I found their work to be very touching, and they were very creative in how they expressed how cancer impacted them individually,” Delaney said. “It really allows them to deal with some of the issues they’ve experienced in a positive way.”

Tags: cancer artwork, delores osborne, avera cancer center, news