In 1957 one of Australia's most loved and iconic storytellers and illustrators, Pixie O'Harris, created works for the Manning Hospital children's ward,
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Now the enchanting collection of works, only re-discovered in the last two years, are on exhibition at Manning Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) until early March.
Many locals remember the incredible pieces that adorned the walls of the hospital, thanks to the Manning Base Hospital Ladies Auxiliary (the Pink Ladies), who commissioned the 25 works.
Pixie O'Harris was an experienced muralist at the time, having completed similar artworks at other hospitals across NSW.
Pixie's inspiration for the murals came after the birth of her third child, in 1939, when she had been dispirited by the bleakness of the hospital walls.
Finding the works was 'pixie magic'
A few years ago interest was rekindled in the paintings when Janine Roberts and Penny Teerman of MidCoast Stories rediscovered the works.
"Penny had this little article from 2008 saying the hospital had Pixie O'Harris paintings," Janine said.
"So we contacted the hospital and they didn't really know where they were, but they knew they had some in storage.
"They invited us up and we found a few paintings behind filing cabinets, and we were missing quite a number.
"There are 25, we found eight up in the storage office. We found others on the walls.
When I asked them where they came from no-one could tell me where they had been. It's a mystery! I just say it's a bit of pixie magic, pixie dust.
- Janine Roberts
"When I went up to pick up the ones that were on the walls, I found that in the office there were a whole bunch of other paintings there, which were the missing ones.
"When I asked them where they came from no-one could tell me where they had been. It's a mystery! I just say it's a bit of pixie magic, pixie dust."
Collaboration
Eight of the 25 paintings Manning Hospital owns were done by Pixie's brother, Olaf Harris.
"They were the boy ones," Janine said.
The exhibition includes the complete Manning Hospital collection of the Pixie O'Harris and Olaf Harris paintings, along with additional works from Fairfield Hospital which has generously supported the project.
Magical exhibition opening
The official opening of The Forgotten Works of Pixie O'Harris exhibition will be held on Saturday, January 25 at 2pm.
Special guests include Pixie O'Harris's family members, who will travel from throughout Australia for the event.
Daughter, Halcyon Evans, now in her late 80s, will open the exhibition alongside the hospital Pink Ladies.
Entry to the exhibition is free. The exhibition runs to March 8.
Manning Regional Art Gallery is located in Macquarie Street, Taree and opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 1pm to 4pm.
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