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Sponder Gallery is pleased to share that the work of gallery artist Jill Hotchkiss is now on view at UCI Health in Irvine, California. Four works on paper are now part of the hospitals collection that encompases over 300 commissioned artworks.

Where Art Supports Healing

“A good picture is equivalent to a good deed,” Vincent Van Gogh said. If that’s true, three new buildings at UCI Health — Irvine are providing expansive benefits through their thoughtfully curated art collection.

Research is clear about art’s ability to reduce stress, enhance moods and lessen symptoms of chronic disease. So what better canvas for calming motifs than a hospital designed and built with the goal of improving the health and well-being of those who enter?

“When we set out to build the UCI Health — Irvine complex, we wanted an arts program that leverages the amazing artist community across OC and California as an integral part of the early design and part of the healing environment itself,” says Chad Lefteris, president and CEO of UCI Health.

With 300 commissioned pieces and 1,300 reproductions, the highly local display was a considerable undertaking that took about two years. James Irvine Swinden, former president of The Irvine Museum and son of Joan Irvine Smith, a longtime UC Irvine supporter, was tapped to chair a selection committee of nearly a dozen people, including local artists, design experts, philanthropists and other UCI Health co-workers.

Diverse works
The art touches every area and caters to many sensibilities in terms of medium. There are enormous murals, intricate 3D glass structures, California impressionist paintings, complex textiles, photography and more.

“The art had to be soothing and inspirational, but it’s not all plein air,” says Swinden, whose responsibilities included the art’s placement throughout the UCI Health — Irvine complex.

Referring to a 12-foot-wide watercolor in the lobby of the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care by Jason Li, he says, “That is stunning. That’s a world-class piece.”

The works are often created to specific dimensions allotted for them.

It seems nearly every corner of the hospital is filled with art: from the emergency room to the meditation room, from the lobby to the patient rooms and even the co-worker lounges.

At the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center & Ambulatory Care building and in the hospital, each floor has a theme, some of which include wetlands, parks, and oceans and beaches, as well as specific cities such as Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and San Juan Capistrano.

It all combines to create a tranquil, caring atmosphere and an unique experience, different from what most people are used to in healthcare spaces.

“UC Irvine is my backyard,” Sewell says. “To be in a permanent collection in the hospital is an honor.”