St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper welcomed members of the arts and health communities as they came together at the Safe Haven Health and Wellness Complex, Thursday, December 10. The event — the Percent for Art Open House — was an art opening for 31 Healing Arts collections procured through a Call to Artists earlier this year, as well as donations from local philanthropists.
Cooper opened the event by thanking members of the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs, local philanthropists, arts advocates Carlos Sanchez and David Fennelly, and Safe Haven Director Mary Burckell for their investment in Safe Haven and their work to bring this collection to the Safe Haven Health and Wellness Center. Over 40 artists with over 280 proposals responded to the Call to Artists in the summer of 2020, issued by the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs and St. Tammany Parish Government. The artwork was funded through the Percent for Art Program at a cost of $24,400. This program stems from an ordinance passed in 2002 which authorizes the allocation of funds for art in the construction of public buildings. For this project selections were made specifically to enhance the healing environment of the facility. The Safe Haven Health and Wellness Center houses St. Tammany’s first 24-bed Crisis Receiving Center, as well as a third Federally Qualified Health Center to serve the people of St. Tammany. It is expected to open in early 2021.
