Examining the power of natural places to elevate and enrich human experience and health, Susan O’Malley’s A Healing Walk guides visitors through Montalvo’s forest trails with text-based signage reminding us to practice mindfulness and appreciate the healing effects of the countryside.
Supported by Lucas Artists Program at Montalvo Arts Center, A Healing Walk was originally installed in 2012 as part of the exhibition Happiness is… The work is now part of Montalvo’s permanent collection of Art on the Grounds. It was reinstalled in 2018 in collaboration with Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation.
This installation is currently not on view. It will be reinstalled in early January 2025.
Image Gallery
Meet the Artist
SUSAN O’MALLEY
Website
Susan O’Malley (1976-2015) was an artist and curator from the San Francisco Bay Area. From posters to pep talks, billboards to vending machines, her art uses simple and recognizable tools of engagement to connect people to one another. O’Malley’s artwork has been exhibited in public projects across the United States—including the Montalvo Art Center, Kala Art Institute, and Palo Alto Art Center in California; the Contemporary Art Museum in Houston; and the Parthenon Museum in Nashville—as well as in galleries and museums in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Poland. Her installation Finding Your Center was featured at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and her project A Healing Walk is permanently installed at Montalvo Art Center.
In the News
- From Saratoga: Happiness Is.
By Glen Helfand, Art Practical