Exploring Artists’ Professional Practices and Observations of Patient Experience of Hospital-based Arts Programming

The Artist on the Ward (AOW) Program in the University of Alberta Hospital is a unique service that offers arts experiences such as music, painting or literary art sessions to patients, staff, and family, facilitated by onsite staff artists. The AOW program has operated for 20 years, and has received plenty of positive feedback, but has not been consistently evaluated. This study will collect artist professional practices and reflections of their sessions with patients and the feedback they receive from patients. Artists will also collect photographic documentation of the artwork created by or with the patients. Study results and images will be shared as a public art display. The study will provide the Artists on the Wards program with insight on potential areas for improvement and as well as a better understanding of its impact on patients’ hospital experiences. This knowledge will result in stronger funding applications for the program and could contribute to the development of similar programs within hospitals across Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Pamela Brett-MacLean

Student:

Partner:

Friends of the University Hospitals

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Alberta

Program: