Owensboro Health to Create Art Program for New Hospital
OWENSBORO, KY (August 15, 2012) – Owensboro Health is celebrating the beauty of the surrounding Kentucky and Indiana counties through a purposefully planned evidence- and patient-based art program at its new hospital, scheduled to open in June 2013 on Pleasant Valley Road.
The art program will be designed to provide an experience to help keep patients and visitors close to nature, supporting the serenely designed atmosphere and complimenting the beauty of the architecture and natural interior finishes of the new facility. Artwork is intended to engage viewers, celebrate regional talent and promote a healing environment.
“The purpose of the artwork is to provide positive distractions to help patients leave the stress of the moment and help them respond better to treatment,” said Cathie Medley, development manager at the Owensboro Health Foundation for Health.
Putting the right art in place will support patient care and can lead to shorter hospital stays, Medley said. Studies indicate patients need less medication and exhibit more positive attitudes when exposed to artwork featuring natural surroundings.
And while the hospital may only be adorned with a few pieces of art when it opens, the collection will grow over time as funds become available, said Ann Kincheloe, a past Owensboro Health board member who is leading the committee of volunteers and employees guiding art selection.
“We’ve put together a wish book for pieces we’d like to display for visitors and patients,” Kincheloe says, “Art that will compliment and support a healing environment.”
In developing guidelines for artwork, the committee looked to research on art in healthcare. Owensboro Health is working with Distinctive Art Source, a nationally known healthcare art firm that specializes in patient-based art programs, to select multimedia works that work together to create a unique experience.
Owensboro Health has established standards, direction and a budget for the art program and is seeking works by regional artists, in all mediums, to purchase and feature in key public locations in the hospital and adjoining medical office building.
Artists may submit works for consideration online at www.distinctiveartsource.com. Click on the Owensboro Art News link, or call Barbara Harriman at Distinctive Art Source, 703-956-1946.
Anyone who would like to see the wish book and consider sponsoring a selected piece through a monetary donation should call Cathie Medley at the Owensboro Health Foundation for Health at 270-688-2260.
