Author: andersml

Ronald McDonald House of Northern Virginia

This project is very bittersweet, as it is on the campus of the hospital I was born at and is one of my last big projects before my family moves off to Phoenix. Three hundred butterflies and dragonflies grace the walls of the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Virginia on the campus of INOVA Fairfax Hospital, which underwent extensive renovations over the past year to accommodate more families, many of whom have newborns in the NICU. The renovations are so beautiful (and in the history of all renovations completed AHEAD of schedule!) that my kids requested tagging along to hang out there while I hung up the butterflies, helping me out in between watching iPads and playing on the playground outside. They also realized that Ronald McDonald Houses are related to ACTUAL McDonalds, and a Pavlovian type response ensued and milkshakes were had after we would finish each visit up.

These pieces were customized to the needs of the house, as the palette of the living room had already been set from their last redesign. They requested a heart shape over the fireplace, and to anchor the heart on either side, similar paintings to the ones for Martha Washington and Georgetown. I kept the heart shapes (a commonly used logo of Ronald McDonald Houses) going throughout the halls, marking the beginning and end of the first and second floors. A unique butterfly or dragonfly sits over each room number, creating an additional identifier for guests of the House. I’m grateful to have been part of this incredible renovation and pray that it blesses families for years to come.

Georgetown Pediatric Floor!

Georgetown, siiiigh. I love this campus, it keeps drawing me back. First it was for school, then a job had me making regular visits, and recently I was back again doing a butterfly installation for the pediatric floor of the hospital. These two hundred (!!!) butterflies and dragonflies have a wayfinding purpose, leading visitors and patients through the halls to the doors of the unit itself, and three paintings mark the beginning, middle, and end of the trail.

It’s hard to express how kind everyone on this floor was…the nurse managers who helped facilitate the project made me feel SO welcome and were beyond appreciative, giving me encouragement (and snacks!) along the way. I’m not sure if everyone in pediatrics is just a special breed of person or if the crew at Georgetown are just extra kind, but I felt such warmth being there I just wanted to stay a bit longer! Hope you enjoy this round of butterflies!

Wayfinding – Butterfly Delivery Day at Martha Jefferson Hospital

The next week, I got a call from a hospital administrator explaining how perfect our timing was, as just the week before her staff had requested 3D art to help guide patients through the hospital corridor to the surgical check in.  Apparently nervous patients were getting lost on their way and they needed better signage to direct them to their destination.  So when I explained that this was just that – 3D butterflies that can make a trail from one point to another – it was a perfect fit.

What is so neat about the installations is that these are fully custom pieces.  All the colors you see in these pictures match the palette of the hospital and the scenery is reminiscent of the Charlottesville landscape.  The customization is a big part of what makes this project special…the hospital can focus on purchasing essentials to aid in physical healing, and these pieces can give warmth to what can be a sometimes scary place, giving comfort and providing emotional healing.  Win win!

If you are interested in purchasing a butterfly, keep an eye on the shop, or contact me for a custom piece!

Butterfly Delivery Day at Ronald McDonald House Baltimore

I’m really excited because the very first butterfly giveaway installation is complete! In early May I spent the day at Ronald McDonald House Charities Maryland in Baltimore at their brand new location, which opened May 14th! This 18×24 boy and girl duo was the brainchild of their artistic director Leslie Landsman and the dragonflies and butterflies were pinned on the wall in a heart shape to pay homage to the logo of the charity. Scroll through the pictures for more details about the process! I’ve never nailed my artwork directly to the wall before, it was a little nerve wracking!  To cover up the nail holes, I brought a touch of extra paint and covered each hole to match the body of each butterfly and dragonfly.

If you would like to learn more about the new house, check it out here: https://rmhcmaryland.org/ The staff and volunteers are some of the most special people and I’m so grateful to have been one small part of making this grand new house so special.

For those of you new to the project, this is the first installation of a “buy one, give one” campaign where for every butterfly or dragonfly sold, a second is created and donated to a non-profit that serves its customers directly. I’m so grateful for those that have purchased a butterfly or dragonfly so far, you all made this possible and sustainable. Thank you for helping to spread joy! To stay up to date with all the latest and future projects, sign up for the newsletter at www.meredithhannon.com/newsletter

Lastly special thanks to John at Kramer Installation for getting this all up swiftly and easily! If you need something hung, go to www.kramerinstallation.com

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