When Wishard’s new Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital opens in 2013, residents will have more to look forward to than fresh facilities and more space.
Contributing to the new hospital’s therapeutic ambience will be a display of several special fine art selections that are part of the Eskenazi Health Art Program.
Last week Wishard presented the final set of art selections for the new hospital, which will be on display until Sept. 28 at the Harrison Center for the Arts City Gallery, 1505 N. Delaware St.
The Eskenazi Health Art Program includes new commissioned works from over a dozen contemporary artists, nearly half of whom are from the local African-American community. The art program for the new hospital will also celebrate and include paintings from the original collection, which were created over a century ago when Wishard, which traces its history to 1851, was known as City Hospital.
Wishard officials are encouraging everyone to enjoy this special preview of the art selections and support the artists who designed them.
“This is an exciting moment that takes us one step closer to opening the new Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital and Eskenazi Health,” said Dr. Lisa Harris, CEO and medical director at Wishard Health Services. “It also shows how much of an extraordinary patient environment we are creating. In these selections, we see the comfort and inspiration this art will bring to all who receive care.”
The presentation of the final selections, which comprise the final two of three groups of selections, continues a selection process that began in March of 2011, which included extensive public viewing and comments. The final set of selections, on display as part of the We Are City series at the Harrison Center for the Arts, will move into fabrication and will be installed in the new hospital and health campus prior to its opening at the end of next year.
Wishard’s art committee, which is comprised of local and national experts on art and culture, selected artists that represent the rich diversity of the Indianapolis community, including native Hoosiers and artists born or living in Indianapolis, and artists representing women, minorities, veterans and people with disabilities.
More than half – 62 percent – of the full art program comes from local Indiana artists, while 50 percent of the artists are minorities and 31 percent are female.
Some well-known local artists who have submitted works include Malcolm Mobutu Smith, India Cruse-Griffin, Artur Silva, Joseph “aLLEN iMAGERY” Woods, Tim Ryan and Mason Archie.
“It’s a great opportunity to be selected for this program, especially when you consider its history and the earlier contributions of African-American artists such as William Edward Scott,” said Archie, who has been commissioned to create large landscapes depicting local scenes in the city.
“Wishard has done a pretty good job in terms of the diversity of types of art selected, as well as the artists themselves.”
In addition to the new works, the new Eskenazi Health facilities will display paintings from the Art of Healing collection that were installed in Wishard in 1914, which includes four pieces of original work by T.C. Steele known as “Four Seasons.”
Wishard budgeted $1.5 million for the art program and plans to fund it through philanthropy.
“It will be a collection that is both inviting and inspiring,” said Michael Kaufmann, director of special projects and civic investment for Health & Hospital Corp. of Marion County. “This is also a collection for the population Wishard serves, to be enjoyed by the public, and one that celebrates a wide variety of voices.”
The program is part of Wishard’s efforts to improve the overall well being of residents, which includes environmental sustainability and healthful food initiatives. Research indicates that access to art and natural beauty play a positive role in the healing process.
Matthew Gutwein, president and CEO of Health & Hospital Corp, said, “The health art program is one of many aspects of the project that we designed to enhance patient care as well as uplift and inspire our community.”
