Inspirational artist Colleen Darby had her aha-moment while working as an artist in residence for a new arts-in-healthcare initiative at a children’s hospital in New York. One day she walked into a patient’s room and made a remark about what a beautiful day it was outside. In response, the young patient said, “It always looks the same from here.”
That awkward but powerful moment inspired Darby’s work at the hospital and her first Kickstarter campaign. Based on the belief that every patient should have a room with a view, Darby plans to take a month away from her day job to create a series of 20 paintings that depict what a patient might like to see out his or her window. Called “A view for a room,” the campaign has already exceeded its $10,000 fundraising goal.
Hospitals like Cleveland Clinic and Truman Medical Center in Kansas City have been investing in more sophisticated and thought out art programs as the pool of research supporting the role of art in the healing process expands.
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Darby said her goal is to help patients and family members escape from the stress and sterile feeling of a hospital. She incorporates positive messages into her landscapes using a collage technique with vintage papers, old maps, computer-generated typography and magazine clippings.
The paintings that result from the Kickstarter campaign, which she’s calling LandEscape, are being offered up as incentives for donation in the campaign. But Darby hopes the campaign and the paintings will stir up awareness about the arts in healthcare.
“My ultimate goal is to build a portfolio large enough that I can start to market my artwork to medical facilities,” she said. “I hope to engage my audience on a deeper level, to leave them feeling positive and uplifted.”
