John Dankha, recalling days spent in the cancer center with his own mother, often found comfort in the art collection housed in the healthcare facility. “Art became an important part of our time together,” remembers Dankha. “The corridors were lined with art pieces. It provided us a pleasant diversion and helped to elevate our spirits.” His wish was that his own art could have a positive influence during the trying times of others.
As luck would have it, Dankha found the perfect backdrop to his nature photography with the Orange Coast Patient Care Pavilion. The Care Pavilion, a recent expansion of theOrange Coast Memorial Medical Center and new home of the Memorial Care CancerCenter, opened its doors in November 2009. Recognizing the value of art in public places from his personal experience, the fine art photographer and owner of the Dankha Gallery gifted several prints to the hospital. In doing so, Dankha and Orange Coast Memorial validated what researchers have long since believed—that art enhances healing—for the patient and their caregivers.
Dankha was recognized in a public event held recently at the Care Pavilion. Marcia Manker, Orange Coast Memorial’s chief executive officer, Cheryl Jacob, vice president of operations, Paul Stimson, Director of the Orange Coast Memorial Foundation; and Sarah Mitchell, Marketing & Communications Manager were on-hand to acknowledge the installation.
Manker, a long-time supporter of the arts, commented, “We are extremely delighted to accept this generous installation of outstanding photography by Mr. Dankha.” Orange Coast Memorial is an advocate for the integration of the arts into the healthcare environment. In keeping with the hospital’s close ties to the community, one large format print strikingly renders the Long Beach skyline. The others capture the essence of locale with the piers at Seal Beach and Huntington Beach.
Dankha’s prints can be seen on the second floor of the Orange Coast Patient Care Pavilion, located at 18111 Brookhurst Street, Fountain Valley, CA.
The Dankha Gallery, a respected and integral part of the Seal Beach business community since 2008, specializes in large format art photography. It is housed in the iconic Rexall Building located at 141 Main Street, Seal Beach, CA.
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