Liz Afif Velez and two works by Chiara Costa, "Morning Rise" (left)and "Single Reflection," included in the "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful" art exhibit on the wall of the Center for Dermatologic Surgery in Marlton. (DAVID M WARREN / Staff Photographer)
The Center for Dermatologic Surgery, run by Cooper dermatologic surgeon Naomi Lawrence, MD, was the site of a special art exhibit called “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful” which was featured on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Daily Magazine section on Thursday, June 24.
The exhibit was organized by painter and curator Liz Afif Velez, who says she yearned for a project “to celebrate beautiful art, plain and simple, whether it has a deeper meaning or not.”
Naomi Lawrence, the center’s primary surgeon, says it handles about 1,500 cases a year. Nearly two-thirds deal with skin cancer; the rest are part of an active aesthetic practice.
Dr. Lawrence also happens to have an eye for landscapes both realistic and impressionist. “I am an appreciator but not a connoisseur,” she said in the article. She conceived of the original artworks as a nice distraction for patients in the waiting room.