CREJ - Building Dialogue - March 2015
For centuries, art has functioned as both an educational and inspirational tool in religion. As a faith-based organization in the Catholic tradition, Saint Joseph Hospital recognizes the inherent power of art to help heal and inspire the spirits of its patients, visitors, employees and community. Many view hospitals as sterile and cold, focused more on a patient’s illness; however, an increasing number of hospitals, including Saint Joseph Hospital, use art to humanize their facilities with original art from the local community, inspire healing and reflection for diverse patients, and create internal connections with an employee art program. Working with our firm, Saint Joseph Hospital developed an art program goal for its new facility to promote a healing and spiritually nourishing experience that reflects the hospital’s safe and caring environment for the communities it serves. Located in Denver’s urban corridor since 1873, Saint Joseph Hospital used its art program to visually express its community-oriented mission. As a testament to that belief, the hospital opened the art program’s call for entry to the community at large – anyone, anywhere could enter, but Colorado-based artists were given priority. Additionally, Bain Farris, the hospital’s president and CEO, and Sister Melissa Camardo, vice president of mission and sponsorship, both served as community liaisons personally answering questions at community meetings and forums. The community responded overwhelmingly with approximately 7,000 interior and exterior entry images for the 17-person art committee to cull through. The committee members included not only executive leadership and the design team, but also nurses, project managers and spiritual care managers. Fort Collins sculptor Tim Upham won the exterior art slot with his historical steel and glass sculpture whose four pillars represent the four Sisters of Charity, who founded the hospital at a 14th and Arapahoe cottage in 1873. Saint Joseph Hospital made a commitment to invest in original artwork for the new facility and creatively addressed the goals in light of the budget. For example, the hospital engaged its associates in a photography-based art program to feature 250 pieces of employee artwork, all identified with an artist label, throughout the public spaces. This unique aspect of the collection speaks not only to the hospital’s creativity, but also to its passion to support the members of the hospital staff and encourage connections between them and the broader community. The photography program is a source of loyalty and pride and engages all involved in creating a healing environment beyond clinical expertise. In 2015, Saint Joseph Hospital will re-open the employee art program to expand the collection. Saint Joseph Hospital’s art collection has made a huge impact on the local arts community. The program’s inventory includes over 80 artists and galleries, only one of which is not Colorado based. Taken as a whole, this collection speaks to Colorado’s and the hospital’s adventurous, hopeful spirit.