The Gallery at Children's Hospital

Art plays a crucial role in the healing process for patients and families at the Children's Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota. Whether it's the one-on-one art therapy or the infusion of kid-friendly installations throughout the buildings, art helps to make the hospital more familiar and friendly for all who walk through the doors. The Arts & Healing program commissioned more than 700 pieces of art.

Writing/Essay/Journal Children's Hospitals of St. Paul and Minneapolis use art as a healing tool for the patients and families that walk through their doors. Art provides a welcome distraction from what would otherwise be a sterile and maybe even scary hospital visit. Write about a time when you faced a scary situation and made it better by doing something to help you to “be in the moment” and forget about some of your stress. What did you do and how did it help? Activity One of the interactive art pieces at the Children’s Hospital is Supra Capsularia, which allows patients to create and deposit their own mini time capsules. Make your own time capsule out of a shoebox that represents who you are. Include some of the following information: family, culture, gender, hopes, fears, important experiences, goals, accomplishments, likes, and dislikes.

Air Date 4/26/14