Art is healing – explore the arts organizations that are helping wellbeing.
Our latest collaboration with Bloomberg Connects is for your health! It’s widely known that engaging with the arts is good for healing and well-being, so we’ve compiled six cultural organizations dedicated to that mission. In the spirit of OHNY, we’re opening doors to some exciting collections and works of art otherwise not open to view, plus highlighting some public museums and galleries that celebrate health in art.
Note the below links work best on your smartphone with the Bloomberg Connects app downloaded.
LOCAL
Credit: Courtesy of NYC Health + Hospitals - Arts in Medicine
NYC Health + Hospitals – Arts in Medicine | New York, NY, US
First up we have the Arts in Medicine department at NYC Health + Hospitals. It was developed as part of a broader strategy to create healing places that foster a calming atmosphere for patients and their families in New York. NYC Health + Hospitals curates the largest public health collection in New York City. To understand more about their mission, explore “Why Arts in Healthcare” and learn about the “History of the Collection,” including “Untitled,” a 700-foot mural of playful figures by Keith Haring that sits in the lobby of Woodhull Hospital.
Credit: "Fountain House Gallery" (2020). Susan Baus. C print of scanned object collage. 20 x 14 inches.
Fountain House Gallery | New York, NY, US
Founded in 2000, the Fountain House Gallery is an art-making-focused community that supports the careers and creative visions of contemporary artists living with mental illness. With Bloomberg Connects, you can learn more about the gallery’s work, meet some of the artists, including; “Alyson Vega,” “Roger Jones,” and “Vermillion;” as well as explore past exhibitions like “Compulsive Genius: New Work from Fountain House Studio Residents.”
Credit: Jeff Liao, 111 East 210th Street, Archival pigment print, 40 x 70 inches
The Fine Art Program and Collection at Montefiore Einstein | New York, NY, US
The Fine Art Program and Collection at Montefiore Einstein is a visual arts program that enhances the restorative environment for patients and their families. It is integrated into daily life at Montefiore, driven by their mission to heal, teach, discover, and advance the health of the communities they serve. You can “Explore Collection Spotlights” such as Dale Chihuly’s “Kingfisher Persian" or “Explore Project Installations” like “Field of Dreaming” by Christina Watka.
NATIONAL
Credit: Shara Hughes, Wonder and Wander, Phoenix Children's Hospital, 2024. Photo: Dana Gibbons
RxArt | Partners Across the US
RxART pairs artists with pediatric hospitals to develop site-specific projects to improve the experience of patients. Every artist is given the opportunity to help transform the lives of children as they heal. To understand more, their guide explains “Why Should Art Be Installed in Hospitals?” You can also discover their recently completed projects, such as “Harold Ancart | Intermountain Children’s Hospital,” and peek into the RxART archives to see the impact of works like “Takashi Murakami | Children’s National Hospital.”
INTERNATIONAL
Credit: A Paintings in Hospitals exhibition at University College Hospital London
Painting in Hospitals | London and Southampton, England, UK
Over in the UK, Paintings in Hospitals is the leading “creative health” organization using world-class art to inspire better health for patients, carers, and communities. They have the only national UK arts collection, representing over 2000 artists, including Andy Warhol, Anish Kapoor, Bridget Riley, and more. Explore their “Collection Highlights” and “Core Collection” as well as get a glimpse at the works on view at the public “Shirley Health Partnership Exhibition” in Southampton.
Credit: The exterior of Bethlem Museum of the Mind and Bethlem Gallery. Courtesy of Bethlem Museum of the Mind
Bethlem Museum of the Mind | Beckhenham, Kent, UK
Situated on the grounds of Bethlem Hospital – the first institution in the UK to specialize in the care of those with mental illness – is the Bethlem Museum of the Mind. The museum was opened by artist Grayson Perry in March 2015 and is dedicated to showcasing the experiences of people with mental health problems. Open the app to learn about items in their permanent exhibition with “Museum Trail: In the Centre of It All,” or explore previous exhibitions, such as “Feminine Archetype Dolls.”
Wherever you’re based, there’s a wealth of art to discover, nourish, educate, or help heal. Just open Bloomberg Connects to find galleries and museums near you.
Open House New York is supported by Bloomberg Connects, a free mobile app featuring guides to hundreds of museums, galleries, sculpture parks, gardens, and cultural spaces.
