Houston, Texas, July 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HCA Houston Healthcare is proud to announce a partnership with Bayou City Art Festival known as HeART for Heroes, an initiative designed to bring visual art to hospitals as an outlet for frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic. This is a continuing partnership that organizers are eager to see evolve with the ever-changing healthcare landscape, and needs of frontline workers.

Participants include eight local artists, each who previously participated in Bayou City Art Festival: Lisa Morales, Summer Lydick, Kelly Grayson, Stacy Gresell, Elaine Lanoue, Hilda Rueda, Mathieu Jean Baptiste, and Curt Baldwin. All artists have donated their time and talent to seven of HCA Houston Healthcare's 13 area hospitals to spread joy and show their appreciation for healthcare workers through art. Works include donated and custom pieces, temporary exhibits and wall murals. Participating hospitals include:

• HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake -- Lisa Morales, artist | Donated piece
• HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood -- Summer Lydick, artist | Temporary exhibit
• HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center -- Kelly Grayson, artist | Donated piece
• HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress -- Stacy Gresell, artist | Donated piece
• HCA Houston Healthcare West -- Elaine Lanoue, artist | Temporary exhibit
• The Woman's Hospital of Texas -- Artists Hilda Rueda and Mathieu Jean Baptiste | Temporary exhibit and wall mural
• Texas Orthopedic Hospital -- Curt Baldwin, artist | Temporary exhibit

The donated art is currently exhibited at the above mentioned HCA Houston Healthcare hospitals. Some of the art is permanent and others will be displayed for month-long periods.

"We are honored to partner with HCA Houston Healthcare in its HeART for Heroes art project that brings the joy of art and much-needed healing during this unprecedented time," said Kelly Batterson, executive director of Art Colony Association. "The artists of Bayou City Art Festival inspire us all with their heart and through their art to recognize, appreciate and show the community's appreciation for healthcare heroes on the frontline."

Kelli Nations, chief nurse executive at HCA Houston Healthcare, added: "Partnering with Bayou City Art Festival during this pandemic means a great deal to our colleagues and frontline workers. We are so grateful for the time and talent donated to support those dedicated to providing care during the pandemic. This partnership will spread messages of inspiration and hope as we all work together through these challenging times."

All artists have temporarily donated their artwork for a limited timeframe with the exception of Lisa Morales and Stacy Gresell, both who generously donated a piece of their art, as well as Mathieu Jean Baptiste who committed to paint a permanent wall mural in The Woman's Hospital of Texas. Baptiste's mural is an artistic salute to the unsung heroes of the healthcare community, serving as a visual appreciation of their commitment to the health of women and babies.

"I understand this work can be tireless and the accolades are sometimes few," said Mathieu Jean Baptiste. "It is my hope that nurses, doctors, and hospital staff will feel the love and appreciation in my mural and realize their heroic efforts have not gone unnoticed."

To learn more about each artist and the inspiration behind their pieces, please click HERE.

To access photos of the artwork, please click HERE.

About Mathieu Jean Baptiste's Mural

Mathieu Jean Baptiste's mural pays homage to the colleagues of The Woman's Hospital of Texas, who are continuing to provide care during the pandemic. Every aspect of the mural symbolizes different aspects of the hospital. Dahlias, which appear fragile but are in fact quite hardy flowers, represent inner strength. The rainbow heart badge worn by the nurse symbolizes the hospital's commitment to the care of every human life, above all else. The nurse's face takes the form of The Woman's Hospital of Texas symbol, showing colleagues are united as one through their mission, while the nurse's white wings represent the idea that nurses are heroic and angelic.

The heart symbol in the background between the nurse and baby represents love and respect. Below the baby three profiles can be seen, symbolizing a family of three. The female profile is deliberately placed first, showing that women are leaders whose ideas, values and beliefs strongly impact others.

Behind the nurse, a multi-colored honeycomb represents the many different hospital colleagues, each of whom is uniquely beautiful. When they come together, however, they create something more powerful. A bee, prominently placed on the honeycomb, represents teamwork.

About HCA Houston Healthcare

HCA Houston Healthcare is the leading provider of healthcare in the Houston area, where excellent trained physicians, nurses and allied health professionals treat almost a million patients. With an employee base of 15,000, HCA Houston Healthcare's comprehensive network includes 13 hospitals, 10 outpatient surgery centers, 11 freestanding emergency centers and numerous freestanding diagnostic imaging facilities in the greater Houston area. It also includes a regional transfer center that provides one-phone-call access and support for patient transfers into and out of HCA Houston Healthcare facilities as well as access to ground and air transportation within a 150-mile radius. As one of the region's largest healthcare systems, HCA Houston Healthcare recognizes the importance of giving back to the communities we serve. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Houston Healthcare also is a major supporter of the University of Houston College of Nursing and the new University of Houston College of Medicine. For more information, visit HCAHoustonHealthcare.com.

About Bayou City Art Festival

In its 49th year since the founding of the Westheimer Art Festival, now known as Bayou City Art Festival, the Art Colony Association, Inc. has raised more than $3.6 million for local nonprofit programs from proceeds of its festivals. Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park in the spring and Bayou City Art Festival Downtown in the fall has provided a venue for more than 20,000 artists to showcase their work to thousands of art lovers from all over the world. The festivals are funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, corporate sponsorships, private contributions, in-kind support and volunteer assistance. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, please visit www.artcolonyassociation.org.