FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2008

BUFFALO, NY—As one of the most magnificent natural wonders in the world, Niagara Falls inspires awe in those who visit the landmark site. Now, thanks to the talents of local college students and faculty, cancer patients, family members and visitors will be able to catch an extra glimpse of this wonder without leaving Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Professor David Miller, a studio art adjunct professor at Canisius College, and art history student Kate Brobeil (Class of 2008) undertook the months-long task of painting and assembling a new mural depicting artist Frederic Edwin Church’s 1867 work, Niagara Falls from the American Side. Their work, now displayed in Roswell Park’s David C. Hohn, MD Lecture Hall, will be unveiled on Wednesday, October 22 at 6 pm.

The mural complements another recreation of a different Church work, Niagara, showing the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, which was completed by Buffalo State College students in 2006. The two pieces now hang on opposite walls of the Hohn Lecture Hall. The room is used for major gatherings such as Cancer Survivors Day, remembrance services for families that have lost loved ones to cancer, and educational conferences held throughout the year.

Both works were made possible through collaboration with the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation Art Committee. The piece will be the latest addition to the Institute’s extensive art collection, numbering over 700 pieces of fine art. The committee’s mission is to serve as an extension of Roswell Park’s medical and psychosocial programs, using art as a healing influence.
                                
Miller and Brobeil spent two semesters completing both the creative and technical aspects of the painting, including assembling the canvas materials, painting the image in acrylic and oil, disassembling the piece and then re-assembling it on-site at Roswell Park.

“It was far and away one of the greatest experiences of my college career,” said Brobeil of the painting.

“We brought the painting to a successful hang in just under a year from the day we were first approached to engage the project,” said Father Michael Tunney, S.J., project coordinator at Canisius College.  “I am very proud of Kate and Dave for their generous and creative spirits from beginning to end.” 

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The Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization formed to receive and administer funds supporting scientific and clinical research, state-of-the-art medical care, and patient-related activities at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.  Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center. The Institute was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.