Healing Arts Programs
To Whom It May Concern,
RE: Steve Kuzma
I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of working with Steve Kuzma over the last six years on a variety of different and successful projects. I was initially introduced to Steve in 2005 when I had a particularly challenging art placement to coordinate. As President of Atlanticare Health Services, I had responsibility for most of the development of programs outside of our two hospitals. We were completing the construction of a 57,000 square foot medically integrated Health and Fitness Facility and wanted to place over 50 pieces of “Healing Art” throughout the center.
The challenging aspect of the assignment is that, for various reasons, we had only three weeks to the grand opening. We had no time to engage in a complex bidding process for art nor to coordinate placement of works from multiple artists. One of my colleagues suggested Steve as a possible solution to our challenge and directed me to his website. My first impression of Steve, through his web page, could not have been better. His first artistic display was a “starfish”. Atlanticare’s corporate symbol is the starfish. Not only did Steve have one starfish, he had three. Each more beautiful then the next. As I explored the incredible array of art Steve had produced over his career, I realized how perfect it would be if we featured all 50 pieces in the center from Steve’s collection. His art ranged from sports, including the Olympics, NFL, track and field and rowing, to street scenes from Paris, the Jersey shore, the Virginia countryside, to floral garden and forest scenes. The shear array allowed me to create a breath taking “art gallery” at the Life Center, with diversity of style, medium and subject matter enough to please the most discerning of artistic palates.
I have continued to work with Steve on a number of projects over the past six years. I’ve commissioned him to paint a number of originals to honor board members from Atlanticare who are retiring. He has painted the windmills at the South Jersey Utilities Authority, the Margate for festival and an Olympic gold medalist, Larry James, in the starting blocks in the relays. Steve has also painted a number of buildings and scenes for Atlanticare including the Life Center and the corporate symbol, the starfish.
In addition to our Life Center display of art, Steve’s work can be found in our hospitals and seven of our outpatient centers. The proliferation of his work throughout Atlanticare is another indication of the breadth of Steve’s talent. He can take any backdrop and either find within his collection of work or create new work that will communicate what the owner of the space is intending to portray.
I would highly recommend Steve for consideration. His work is worth the investment. It expresses energy, promotes calmness and enhances the healing environment that we all seek to create in our facilities.
Very truly yours,
Donald J. Parker
(Steve's note: Former President of Atlanticare)
