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Roger Poulin, who died this past summer after a long battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, is pictured in this painting by Mark Gilbert. Poulin served as a pilot in the United States Air Force and his blanket in this picture is a reference to that time in his life. This and several other works Gilbert completed during a two-year stint as UNMC’s artist-in-residence will be on display at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha from Dec. 12 through Feb. 21. |
Gilbert, a Scottish artist, composed the works that make up the exhibit while serving as UNMC’s artist-in-residence for two years.
During his time at UNMC, Gilbert drew portraits of many different patients and their caregivers.
The patients, who included children and adults, were dealing with a variety of health promotion and illness situations from childbirth to medical conditions such as AIDS, head and neck cancer or some sort of organ transplant. Most of the collection will be on display at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts through Feb. 21.
Today we feature an essay by Deloris Poulin of Bellevue. Gilbert painted portraits of Poulin’s husband, Roger Poulin, who died this past summer after battling ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) for several years.
Roger and I became participants in the research project because we felt it was an opportunity to provide insight to the public about living with a disease. It’s a part of life that typically remains private, yet touches the lives of most people. … Roger hoped that through the drawings of him, people would see the strength of the human spirit; that, despite the limitations of disease or disability, patients can continue to contribute to society and inspire others to do the same.
Roger experienced many physical losses with the progression of his ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Participating in the portraiture project was something he could do that had the potential to impact the lives of others. I think this gave him a sense of pride and a feeling of accomplishment-things he experienced less and less as his disease progressed. He was appreciative of the opportunity and felt his input was valued.
As Roger’s wife and caregiver, and a registered nurse by profession, I felt this project presented a unique opportunity for Roger and me to share. We experienced first hand the developing relationship between an artist and his subjects. It was a very positive experience for both of us as our friendship developed with Mark Gilbert.
I think the drawings and portrait of Roger express a variety of emotions and portray Mark Gilbert’s interpretation of Roger’s story. I hope they will enhance the public’s understanding of the human experience as it relates to significant illness. I am honored to have participated in this project, excited about the potential impact of the exhibit, and curious about the public’s response.
Deloris
UNMC Today will feature another essay in this series on Tuesday.