Mary Patricia Fretz, RN, has shared her love for art—and for the stately giraffe—by donating ceramic-tile collages that now hang at Mount Sinai West and the Pediatric Emergency Department at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s.
Ms. Fretz, a postpartum nurse at Mount Sinai West, has long been fascinated by giraffes: “When I was 3, I wanted one; I remember planning where the hole would be in the ceiling for its head.” She has been creating pottery for more than 30 years, producing tiles, vases, and sculptures that led fellow potters to nickname her “the Giraffe Lady.” Usually she bases her work on photos taken at the Bronx Zoo, but in February, she traveled to Tanzania to see giraffes in their natural habitat for the first time. “It was beyond belief,” says Ms. Fretz, who is already planning new projects based on her new memories.