Art club students paint murals
at ER 24/7 in Riverview
By LINDA CHION KENNEY
The pristine look of emergency rooms dedicated to the treatment of kids turned messy this month, thanks to the creative drive of Riverview High School students who left behind works of art destined to stand the test of time.
Overseeing their mural-painting efforts Dec. 14 at ER 24/7 in Riverview were two women passionate about their careers: Melissa Bell, emergency department manager, who knew since age 3 she wanted to be a nurse, and Emily Griest, who since age 16 knew she wanted to teach.
They oversaw the work of Riverview High School Art Club students, divided into two groups to paint murals that answered the question: “When you think of Riverview, what things do you think of?”
The resulting mural in one room shows the view through three portholes of a submerged boat, featuring undersea plant life, a sunken boat, octopus, jellyfish and shark, the mascot of Riverview High.
The second mural depicts the view looking down river, featuring docks, a boat, trees covered in Spanish moss, a family of sandhill cranes and “Riverview” reflected in the sharp-blue waters.
“To help our patients decrease their anxiety, we had Riverview High School art students paint murals in both of our pediatric rooms,” Bell said. “We also wanted to connect with our community and give the kids an opportunity to put their art work in our building, both for resume-building and to get community service hours.”
In a related project, Bell pointed to framed artwork created by Summerfield Elementary students in grades 1-3, whose work will rotate every 10 weeks, aiming to brighten and personalize the hallway between the mural-painted rooms.
“We had very expensive art work we took down to display theirs,” Bell said. “We’re very fortunate to have students volunteer their time and donate their work.”
Likewise, “they’re using their talents in a way the community gets to enjoy them,” added Jill Lansky, business development director for Brandon Regional Hospital. “It’s a nice way for the kids to be engaged and involved in their community with a very unique project.”
The 11-bed ER 24/7 in Riverview opened in May as a department of Brandon Regional Hospital, offering a wide range of emergency services, including CT scanning, radiology, ultrasound and phlebotomy. On hand are nurses, paramedics and certified emergency physicians, and all insurance is accepted, Bell added, with each visit counting as an emergency department visit (and not an urgent care visit).
Bell said she has spent her career in emergency rooms, fulfilling her childhood dream to nurse. “It’s not a job,” she added. “It’s a passion for me, that you’re really making a difference in people’s lives. I like the bedside interaction still, and I like knowing what I do makes a difference.”
Griest was raised in Philadelphia and taught her first two years in Polk County. She said she found her dream job at Riverview, where she’s behind the push to add art courses (including Advanced Placement offerings) and committed to giving her art club students “an outlet for their passion.”
Working with ER 24/7 in Riverview “is a great opportunity for my students to have their work in a public place,” she added. “It’s something they can continue to be proud of as they continue to grow in Riverview.”
That pride was evident Dec. 14 as students in teams worked on their murals, bonded in their mission to impact the lives of children who one day will be treated in the mural-decorated rooms.
“I used to go to doctors a lot, and I would get stressed and anxious,” said senior Jaclyn Gonzalez. “Having things on the wall would distract me. So it’s nice to provide that for other kids.”
“It feels like we’re making an impact,” added senior Claire Smith, who was instrumental in getting the art club launched in 2018, the year before Griest came to Riverview. “I hope it makes the kids happy, and I hope it lets the community see art is important to build a happy community.”
Her sister, Meredith, agreed, noting their mom, Karen Savage, is an art teacher at Kingswood Elementary School. “She’s a big inspiration for us, and that’s where we get our passion for art.”
Ardent also about art is junior Izael Figueroa, who said the art club is like a family. “You get to express yourself, and you get to actually see yourself progress the more you’re in the art club,” he added. “Miss Griest is a really good teacher. She really does get along with the students, and she gets what you’re doing.”
For Griest, her favorite part of the job?
“Getting to work with these guys every day and being around that same passion for art I had when I was their age,” she said. “It’s inspiring.”
ER 24/7 in Riverview is at the corner of U.S. 301 and Panther Trace Boulevard. Visit www.brandonhospital.com/service/er-riverview or call 813-413-3888 for more information.