Patient Art Exhibition Wall

When you visit West Park, you might notice a colourful display of art alongside the alcove wall leading toward the Café on Level 1.

What differentiates this art from the others adorning our walls is that it was all created by West Patients!

The creation and placement of the Patient Art Exhibition Wall is a strategic decision rooted in patient engagement and the therapeutic power of art. The central location of the wall subtly underscores how each detail of the new hospital has been designed with the patient in mind.

“Patient care is at the center of everything we do at West Park. We wanted to reiterate the sentiment with the Patient Art Exhibition Wall,” says Susan MacDonald, Operational Readiness Partner, Campus Development.

With an eclectic blue backdrop, the wall is a vibrant space to showcase rotating patient art and the artistic talents of West Park patients. Created in collaboration with Recreation Therapy and the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Adult Day Program, the wall currently features an assortment of abstract and figurative paintings in watercolour and oil paint, photographs, digital prints and sculptures including imaginative masks.

Over the years, Recreation Therapy has enriched patient lives through its artistic programming. The Hearts 2 Art Club, a recreation therapy program, has provided patient-artists with opportunities to creatively express themselves through different mediums of art. During the pandemic, collaborations with Urban Arts, a local non-profit art organization, further inspired patients to produce stunning artworks.

The ABI Adult Day Program, through its various initiatives also inspires patients to seek therapy in art. One of the several noticeable contributions by ABI patients to the art wall is the large splatter artworks. Created in collaboration with 4 Cats Arts Studio, patient participants used brushes, balloons filled with paint, large syringes and other tools to fling paint onto the canvas.

A natural muse

Some artworks have backstories as captivating as the pieces themselves. One that evokes curiosity is the magnificent tree placed right at the centre of the art wall. Crafted with wires, paper and mix media, the creative marvel has been produced in collaboration by 12 patient artists across a span of one year. The inspiration behind the art initiative stems from West Park’s enduring connection with nature.

“Patients wished to celebrate nature at West Park. Some were deeply affected when a few trees were moved from the hospital premises after the Tree Blessing Ceremony,” says Ksenia Melamed, Recreation Therapist. “That’s when the tree seeds germinated in patients’ minds!”

Before construction began in 2018, West Park held a Tree Blessing Ceremony that honoured the land and paid homage to the significance trees have to our patients, families and staff.

Commitment to art

The artistic passion of West Park patients is inspiring. After spending 31 years at West Park, the late Doug Ogar was drawn to canvases and colours, which were “very important due to [his] loss of vision.” Doug’s legacy is stunning abstract paintings. Six of his artworks are part of the Patient Art Exhibition Wall, and others are in the boardroom and alcoves throughout the building.

In yet another heartfelt story, patient Stephan Arscott didn’t let amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a life-altering condition, to overshadow the artist in him. An award-winning CorelDraw artist, Stephen continued to work with the digital medium with a head-tracking camera. In 2023, he created Illumination Alley, the very impressive digital painting on display at the wall. So realistic, it could easily be mistaken for a photograph.

Deidre Samuels, a patient from the Enhanced Living Service, is thrilled to discover that six of her photographs have made it to the patient art wall.

“Inspired by the play of colours I saw in the sensory room, I captured the formations and shared them as photographs. I feel delighted when I see a passersby stop and admire the artworks,” says Deidre.

As the Patient Art Exhibition Wall continues to anchor the art project at West Park, many more intriguing works are anticipated. Under the guidance of the Visual Arts Council, the wall is an important and integral part of the hospital’s overarching art strategy.

Research has shown that art can be therapeutic for patients, staff and visitors – reducing stress, inspiring hope and contributing to the healing and care of patients and their families. The goal of the art strategy is to provide motivating, meaningful and regenerative experiences for everyone who enters 170 Emmett Ave.

And, if the artworks mounted on the wall can provide a cathartic experience for our patients, then it has truly achieved its purpose!