Art Belongs Where Healing Happens
Art in hospitals is far more than decoration. A hospital is one of the most stressful places anyone can spend time, whether as a patient, a worried family member or a doctor at the end of a long shift. Thoughtfully chosen art brings color, calm and a sense of humanity to spaces that can feel cold and clinical.
The idea has strong support. A 2019 World Health Organization review of evidence from over 3,000 studies found that the arts play a major role in preventing ill health, promoting health, and managing and treating illness across the lifespan.
This article explains what the research says, how art helps patients, families and staff, how to choose artwork for healthcare spaces, and how Art Delivers is bringing art to hospitals through its Thank You #DN&MS campaign.
What the Research Says About Art and Health
Two landmark pieces of research help explain why hospitals invest in art and healing environments.
The World Health Organization’s arts and health review
In 2019, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe published a major review of the evidence on arts and health. Written by Daisy Fancourt and Saoirse Finn, it drew on results from over 3,000 studies.
The review found a major role for the arts across the full range of health: preventing ill health, promoting health, and managing and treating illness. The evidence ranged from small pilot studies to large long-term cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. The authors called for more arts engagement and closer collaboration between the arts and health sectors.
The “view through a window” study
In 1984, researcher Roger Ulrich published a now-famous study in the journal Science. He compared the records of 46 patients recovering from gallbladder surgery at a Pennsylvania hospital between 1972 and 1981.
The 23 patients whose windows looked out on trees had shorter hospital stays, took fewer potent painkillers and received fewer negative comments in nurses’ notes. The 23 matched patients in similar rooms faced a brick wall (Ulrich, 1984).
Ulrich’s study looked at window views, not paintings. But it helped launch a whole field of research into how what patients see affects how they feel, and it shaped the way many hospitals approach design and art today.
Benefits of Art in Hospitals
Art in a hospital reaches three groups of people, and each one benefits in a different way.
For patients
- A welcome distraction. Art gives patients something to focus on besides pain, tests and waiting.
- A calmer setting. Color and natural imagery can soften clinical rooms and corridors.
- A sense of dignity. A room with art feels cared for, which tells patients they are cared for too.
- Easier navigation. Memorable artworks act as landmarks that help people find their way through long hallways.
For families and visitors
- Comfort while waiting. Waiting rooms are where families spend anxious hours. Art gives them a moment of calm.
- A reason to talk. A striking piece can start a conversation and ease tension between family members.
For doctors, nurses and medical staff
- A lift during long shifts. Art in break rooms and staff areas offers a few minutes of beauty in a demanding day.
- Recognition. Art placed to honor healthcare workers shows them that their effort is seen. Doctors, nurses and first responders gave so much during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that gratitude still matters.
Art also helps the hospital itself. It humanizes the building, reflects the community it serves and makes a lasting first impression on everyone who walks through the door.
How to Choose Art for Healthcare Spaces
Not every artwork suits a hospital. Facilities and donors can use these guidelines to choose pieces that comfort rather than challenge.
- Favor color and nature. Bright, uplifting color and natural scenes tend to work well. Ulrich’s research suggests nature views can help patients feel better.
- Avoid unsettling imagery. Steer clear of ambiguous, dark or aggressive subjects that could worry anxious or unwell viewers.
- Match the art to the space. Large statement pieces suit lobbies and atriums. Calmer, smaller works suit patient rooms and quiet areas.
- Think about hygiene and safety. Choose framed works with sealed, cleanable surfaces, and mount them securely.
- Involve the people who use the space. Ask staff and patients what they would like to see. Art they choose feels like theirs.
- Tell the story. A small label with the artist’s name and the story behind the work turns a picture into a conversation.
Thank You #DN&MS: Bringing Art to Hospitals
Art Delivers puts these ideas into action through its Thank You #DN&MS campaign, short for “Thank you, Doctors, Nurses, and all Medical Staff.”
The campaign is placing five very colorful contemporary works by Berlin artists Mike and Madeleine Bülow in local hospitals, health and wellness centers and rehabilitation facilities. Their Colorphonie technique combines acrylic painting and photography to turn music into vivid color, a natural fit for brightening clinical spaces.
How the sponsorship works
Each painting is funded by a group of 10 sponsors, or 5 couples. Individual sponsorships start at $499, $599, $699, $799 or $999 per person, depending on the frame size, final product and artwork.
Sponsor groups have a real say. A group of ten can decide where its framed piece will be presented and placed.
How to get involved
- Sponsor a painting. Browse the pieces in the Art Delivers Collection, then sponsor one through the Donate page.
- Build your group. Invite four other couples or nine friends or colleagues to sponsor a piece together.
- Nominate a facility. Recommend a specific medical group, doctors’ practice or hospital that deserves to be honored.
- Join the effort. Volunteer for a campaign committee or the board of advisors.
- Give any amount. If sponsorship is not right for you, donate to help Art Delivers honor leaders and help communities in need.
Every framed piece brightens an office, its staff and every patient who visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do hospitals have art?
Hospitals use art to create calmer, more welcoming spaces for patients, families and staff. Research, including a 2019 World Health Organization review of over 3,000 studies, links the arts with a wide range of health and well-being benefits.
Does art help patients heal?
Art is not a medical treatment, but research suggests that what patients see can affect how they feel. In a well-known 1984 study, surgical patients with a view of trees had shorter stays and needed fewer strong painkillers than patients facing a brick wall.
What kind of art is best for hospitals?
Uplifting color, natural themes and calm compositions usually work best. Avoid dark or unsettling imagery, and choose framed works that are easy to clean and securely mounted.
How can I donate art to a hospital?
Through Art Delivers’ Thank You #DN&MS campaign, you can sponsor a framed contemporary artwork for a local hospital or rehabilitation facility. Individual sponsorships start at $499.
Can I choose where the artwork goes?
Yes. A group of ten sponsors can decide where its framed piece will be presented, and anyone can recommend a medical group or practice to honor.
Help Bring Art Where It Is Needed Most
Art in hospitals brings color, calm and dignity to places where people face some of their hardest days. It comforts patients, eases the wait for families and thanks the doctors, nurses and staff who care for us all.
You can be part of it. Sponsor a painting through Thank You #DN&MS, explore the Art Delivers Collection or contact the team to recommend a facility that deserves to be honored.