As hospitals continue to fill with machines and technologies, the MUSC Arts in Healing program is dedicated to softening these spaces with beautiful acknowledgments of the personal, deeply human nature of health care.
We achieve this with the Arts in Healing Art Collection, an assortment of sculptures, paintings, photography, quilts, sweetgrass baskets and poetry. The collection is a reflection of our diverse community and, as such, includes folk, abstract and conceptual art, as well as representational works.
The collection’s purpose is to create a warm, welcoming space for people who may be going through some of life’s most difficult moments and assure them that they are surrounded by people who see them not only as patients with physical needs, but also as human beings with emotional and spiritual ones.
All of the collection’s pieces are created by local artists. While a few are donated, more than 90% must be purchased. In most cases, the funds used to acquire these pieces come from generous benefactors.
Many spaces old and new at MUSC are in need of art! All our emergency departments, intensive care units and Developmental Pediatrics Clinic are in major need of artwork, as are larger spaces such as MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and the Institute of Psychiatry. Both are waiting on funding to brighten their spaces and bring them up to modern day standards.
We also plan to rotate artworks throughout MUSC's campus to provide patients, families and care team members throughout the entire clinical enterprise with a fresh and inspiring environment. Additional staff and resources will be required to facilitate this rotation.
Finally, we are curating artwork for outdoor public spaces at MUSC, which are all in need of additional sculptures and murals.
Your gifts will help us grow and manage the Arts in Healing Art Collection as described above. If you like, you may designate your gift to acquire artwork for a specific clinic, building or outdoor space. All donations go back into the community, supporting artists from South Carolina.
Donate to support MUSC Arts in Healing Art Collection today!
These are just a few examples of how your gift can impact Arts in Healing. We’d love to hear your ideas. To discuss how you can help shape or even transform this special service, please contact Lindsay Finneran at 843-792-4489 or finneral@musc.edu.