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BizBIOSCIENCE
Cathy Gawronski Customer Experience Manager Ventana Medical Systems
Artistic Creation Leads to Scientific Innovation By Romi Carrell Wittman Famed sculptor Henry Moore once said, “To be an artist is to believe in life.” Much the same can be said for simply enjoying art. Art transports us. Art illuminates us. Art inspires us. “Art in the workplace inspires creativity which in turn is the engine of innovation,” says Cathy Gawronski, customer experience manager at Ventana Medical Systems. “It not only looks good, it makes people feel good about coming in to work.” Inspiring innovation is one of the driving forces behind Ventana’s commitment to the arts. The company has the largest free, public art gallery in Southern Arizona and it routinely hosts art shows featuring the work of local, regional and national artists. The company has long been active in the arts community. Dr. Thomas Grogan, founder of Ventana, and Cande, his wife, have been patrons of the arts for many years. Mrs. Grogan spruced up the previous Ventana facility with artwork and when the company moved 130 BizTucson
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Fall 2012
into its current facility, she reached out to her contacts in the art world and turned the hallways of the new facility into an art space. Building on that concept, in 2006 Ventana partnered with the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance to display quarterly art shows on the Ventana campus. Artwork consists primarily of paintings and photography, but some other mediums like jewelry, sculpture and even origami are represented. Last year, Ventana held an exhibition of works created by Ventana employees. The show was so popular it’s now an annual event. The company kicked off the 2nd Employee Art Exhibition with a gala reception this past July. The show will run through September. “This is a way we continuously use our gallery for creative inspiration to innovate and help patients,” Gawronski said. “As employees, we are defined by more than what we do at work. The Annual Employee Art Exhibition is a way for employees to use their creativity in different ways, and it’s enriching for
everyone here and for the community.” Ventana plans to expand its arts program further. In the fall, the company will host a show that focuses on cancer survivorhood, Gawronski said. The company is building its permanent collection of art, something that parent company Roche strongly supports. “Roche has a huge commitment to the arts and they have a tremendous collection in Basel at their headquarters,” Gawronski said. The collection, which focuses on modern art, is so large Roche employs a full-time curator to staff its archive. “In the arts and in science and technology, Ventana and Roche are really a marriage made in heaven,” she said. The Ventana Gallery is open to the public by appointment Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as the first and third Saturdays of the month, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are required with a minimum 48hour advance notice. Call the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance at 797-3959 for details.
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