Research has shown that a patient’s surroundings can have significant impact on their health care experience. In fact, bringing nature into a clinical setting in any form, including paintings and photographs, can improve patient outcomes.
With this in mind, The Artworks for Cancer Foundation (AWFC) has a mandate to transform cancer treatment areas into spaces of healing by adding art to hospital units across Ontario. AWFC has partnered with Sinai Health, donating over 75 breathtaking pieces of art to Mount Sinai Hospital’s Cancer Care Clinic infusing it with warmth and encouraging it to be a space of respite, reflection and healing.
Susan Blacker, Senior Director, Community Partnerships, Cancer and Palliative Programs Performance at Sinai Health, recently expressed her gratitude for the gifted artwork: “This amazing gift is a lovely recognition of the care everyone in the Sinai Health Cancer Program provides each and every day, and the special relationship we have with our patients and families.”
The collection, which was donated by The ArtWorks for Cancer Foundation (AWFC) to the Cancer Care Clinic, follows a nature-inspired theme that celebrates Canada’s beauty. The treatment room now features over a dozen landscape images from Nova Scotia-based photographer Sherman Hines, reproduced on metal by Poster Jack. Colourful East Coast buildings brighten the corridor outside the clinic from Cambridge-area artist Bill Schwarz.
Each of the clinic’s exam rooms now feature a curated theme. One room celebrates Georgian Bay’s rugged beauty, in others notable Canadian landmarks cover the walls. The collection also includes some Indigenous art pieces.
The team at the Cancer Care Clinic says the new artwork has brightened the space and given it personality, while also making it feel more inviting and interesting for patients and their families to move through.
To learn more about The ArtWorks for Cancer Foundation, go to https://artworksforcancer.com.
