Welcome to Paintings in Hospitals
Paintings in Hospitals holds a unique place in the history of the arts in health sector in this country and is still the only organisation of its kind operating at a national level. Founded in 1959 and registered as a charity in 1972, its objectives are to improve the environment of hospitals and other healthcare establishments by providing original works of art on loan. Today the charity delivers this service to over 250 hospitals, hospices and other healthcare facilities across England, Wales and Ireland and benefits many millions of NHS patients, staff and visitors each year.
View a list of hospitals currently subscribing to the service.
"The paintings are a talking point for us; they lift and soften the atmosphere. The paintings jog the memory and remind us of places we have visited and things we have done in the past. This can facilitate discussion with the group, which often leads to other topics being talked about." Patient Discussion, Tapping House Hospice
About Paintings in Hospitals
Paintings in Hospitals is committed to supplying art work to as many healthcare sites as possible, including those in rural areas. Our team at our head office in London is supported by volunteers who manage our branches in the North, Wales, Midlands, East, Ireland, London and the South West.
In addition to our picture loan service, the charity runs a series of specialist arts projects. These have included working with the elderly, mental health organisations and community groups.
Paintings in Hospitals relies on grants and donations to continue its work and is grateful for the support provided by the general public, hospitals participating in our loan schemes and to the various grant-giving trusts. To find out more about the various ways you can help, please visit the support us section above.
The charity also operates an exhibition space, the Menier Gallery near London Bridge, London.
Paintings in Hospitals is grateful to the Department of Health for recognizing the importance of arts in health initiatives in improving an individual’s health and sense of wellbeing. We remain committed to making our services available to all, and welcome the support provided by the West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust and University Hospital of Leicester NHS Trust in helping to display our picture loan collections.
'Lime Oval',
printed textile, 1999
The Board of Trustees
- Mr Frank Harding, CA – Chairman
- Mr Michael Jacob, CA - Hon. Treasurer
- Ms Nicola Green
- Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach
- Ms Nancy Hallett
- Mr Alan Hitchcock
- Ms Anita Klein
- Mr Brendon Finucane QC
- Mr Tim Burt
- Ms Marjorie Alltorpe-Guyton
Patron: HRH the Prince of Wales
Our Team
Head Office
Director: Stuart Davie
Senior Curator: Helen Bonar
Exhibitions & Collection Technician: Margaret Proudfoot
Gallery Coordinator & PiH Administrator: Fiona Curran
Regional Branches
PiH (London and South East)
Regional Lead: Ms Beth Moseley
PiH (East)
Regional Chairman: Mr Gordon Cummings (Volunteer)
PiH (Midlands)
Regional Lead: Ms Helen Bonar
PiH (North)
Regional Chairman: Mr Alan Hitchcock (Volunteer)
PiH (Wales)
Regional Chairman: Mrs Ann Williams (Volunteer)
PiH (Northern Ireland)
Regional Lead: Ms Helen Bonar
PiH (South West)
Regional Lead: Ms Helen Bonar
Funding and Support
Paintings in Hospitals relies on grants and donations to continue its work. We are most grateful to the many donors and supporters who have assisted us in the past year and in particular to:
- Department of Health
- Garfield Weston Foundation
- Arts Council England, East
- J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust
- The Welton Foundation
- The Max Reinhardt Charitable Trust
- The Pilkington General Charity
- The Swire Charitable Trust
- Sir James Knott Charitable Trust
- The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
- Glass House Trust
- PP Goodhart Charitable Trust
- Mrs J E Hawes Charitable Trust
- Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement
- Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP
- Bonhams
- Urban Space Management and the Greenwich Market
Why Put Art in Hospitals?
The charity's aim is to provide original works of art in an effective and low cost way that will enhance the healthcare environment for patients, staff and visitors.
Like architecture and interior design, the artwork that we have around us can significantly influence the way we feel on a day to day basis. Whilst art is not central to the function of a hospital, there are many benefits that art can bring to the healthcare environment.
Pleasant surroundings and well-maintained buildings lift staff morale and improve the public's perception of an organisation. In addition, carefully selected artworks can have a mediating effect between the individual and the institution, helping to make staff more aware of their surroundings and providing a more comfortable and less threatening environment for patients.
Research into the design of hospitals and the effect of the environment on patients and staff demonstrates that our surroundings have a clear impact on the effectiveness with which treatment and care is both delivered and received. For further information on these findings go to www.healthyhospitals.org.uk
Paintings in Hospitals offers healthcare organisations the opportunity to display interesting and original works of art for a modest rental fee and no capital outlay. Better still, healthcare organisations have the option to exchange the pictures periodically, at no extra cost (excluding transportation).
Local Branch Finder
Please click on the regions of the map to see the regional branch for that area or click on the list of regional branch offices to the right.
Offices
Prints for Sale
45th Anniversary Print Portfolio
To mark the 45th anniversary of the charity, Paintings in Hospitals put together a portfolio of original artists’ prints (see below) by eight Royal Academicians that are being sold to raise funds to further the work of the charity.
The portfolio includes works by Norman Ackroyd, Craigie Aitchison, Peter Blake, Eileen Cooper, Albert Irvin, John Hoyland, Tom Phillips and Chris Orr and has been generously supported by the specialist insurers, Hiscox. The prints are available individually or as a complete set.
Paintings in Hospitals is extremely grateful to all the artists who kindly donated prints for this portfolio. In addition we would like to thank Advanced Graphics London, Blackbird Editions, Coriander Studios, Hiscox, The Railings Gallery and The Royal Academy of Arts for their generous support of this project.
To order any of the prints outlined below, complete the attached order form. For further information about the portfolio, contact the charity’s head office on 0207 407 3222. Unframed box sets are available on request.
Print Portfolio
Norman Ackroyd RA, Lakeside, Winter
Aquatint, 2004
Edition of 90
Image size: 26cm x 21.5cm (10” x 8”)
Paper size: 35.5cm x 28cm (14” x 11”)
Price: £300.00
Signed in pencil
Commissioned for Paintings in Hospitals by the
artist
Printed and published by the artist
Craigie Aitchison RA, Cypress Tree, Montecastelli
Screenprint, 2004
Edition of 75
Image Size: 15cm x 12cm (6" x 5"), Paper Size: as above (presented in a 2" window mount)
Price: £529.00
Printed and published by Advanced Graphics London
Presented to Paintings in Hospitals by the artist and Advanced Graphics London
Image courtesy of Advanced Graphics London
Peter Blake RA, The Tuileries
Screenprint, 2004
Edition of 200
Image size: 45cm x 34cm (16” x 13”)
Paper size: 61cm x 51cm (24” x 20”)
Price:£580.00
Commissioned for Paintings in Hospitals by the artist and Coriander Studios
Printed by Coriander Studios and published by the artist and Coriander Studios
Eileen Cooper RA, Private View
Etching, 2004
Edition of 100
Image size: 20cm x 12.5cm (8” x 5”)
Paper size: 51cm x 38cm (20” x 15”)
Signed in pencil
Price: £200.00
Commissioned for Paintings in Hospitals by the artist and Blackbird Editions
Printed by Sara Lee at Blackbird Editions/published by the artist and Blackbird Editions
John Hoyland RA, The Gnome
Screenprint, 2005
Edition of 200
Image size: 53cm x 45cm (21” x 17”)
Paper size: as above
Signed in pencil
Price: £580.00
Commissioned for Paintings in Hospitals by the artist and Coriander Studios
Printed by Coriander Studios and published by the artist and Coriander Studios
Albert Irvin RA, Angel
Screenprint, 2003
Edition of 125
Image size:
32.5cm x 38.5cm
(123/4“ x 15“)
Paper size:
45.25cm x 54cm
(17“ x 211/4“)
Signed in pencil
Price: £470.00
Printed and published by Advanced Graphics London
Presented to Paintings in Hospitals by the artist and Advanced Graphics London
Image courtesy of Advanced Graphics London
Chris Orr RA, Toys
Lithograph, 2004
Edition of 100
Image/Paper size: 56.5cm x 76.5cm (22¼" x 30¼")
Price: £270.00
Commissioned for Paintings in Hospitals by the artist
Printed and published by the artist
Tom Phillips RA, The Ballet of the Unhatched Chickens
Screenprint, 2004
Edition of 200
Image size: 26cm x 31cm (10” x 12”)
Paper size: 51.5cm x 55cm (201/4” x 211/2”)
Signed in pencil
Price: £580.00
Commissioned for Paintings in Hospitals by the artist and Coriander Studios
Printed by Coriander Studios and published by the artist and Coriander Studios
Also available from Paintings in Hospitals are these two prints by Patrick Procktor RA and Rachel Nicholson commissioned in 1999 as part of the charity's 40th Anniversary celebrations.
Patrick Procktor RA, Still Life
Screenprint, 1999
Edition of 100
Image/Paper size: 68.5cm x 45.5cm (27" x 18")
Price £325.00
Printed by The Gresham Studio
Rachel Nicholson, Still Life (St Ives) SOLD
OUT
Lithograph, 1999
Edition of 100
Image Size: 40.5cm x 54cm (16" x 21¼")
Paper Size: 55cm x 67cm (21½" x 26½")
Price £225.00
Printed by Curwen Chilford
Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award 2008
An Artist in Residence Project and Commission – Year 4
Paintings in Hospitals (PiH) was founded in 1959 to provide original works of art for display in hospitals and other healthcare facilities for the relief of people receiving treatment and to improve the healthcare environment experienced by visitors and staff. The PiH collection now includes 4,000 works of art on loan to more than 250 hospitals, hospices and healthcare centres in England, Ireland and Wales.
The Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award was established in 2005 when PiH received a grant from the Max Reinhardt Charitable Trust to set up and run an annual artist in residence project, to be based at a different NHS hospital each year, for a period of five years. The award was established as a memorial to Alexandra Reinhardt, an artist who died aged 43 in 2004, having battled with a rare blood disorder all her life. The first residency was hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital and the second took place in The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Last year an artist worked at Mile End Hospital in East London.
The Project in 2008
The appointed artist will be based at the University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) in the Cancer Centre, Young People’s Unit. The Young People’s Unit is located in the Queen Elizabeth Centre for the Treatment of Cancer at the University Hospital Birmingham. This is the major specialist cancer centre in the West Midlands. It is based in a building completed in 1999, and provides the full range of in-patient, out-patient and day case radiotherapy and chemotherapy services for all types of cancer.
The Cancer Centre has sixty in-patient beds for patients requiring a hospital stay for non-surgical cancer treatment. Eight of these beds are within a special unit for the treatment of young people with cancer, the only unit of its type in the region. It also has a dedicated Out-Patients Service, Chemotherapy Clinic, Radiotherapy Department and Patient Information Centre. The Cancer Centre serves a population of approximately 1.8 million. The area it covers includes Birmingham, Burton, Walsall, Sandwell, Sutton Coldfield and Worcester.
Background to the Cancer Centre Young People’s Unit
The Unit was opened in June 2000. It has 8 beds, each with their own TV, DVD and Play Station 2 or X-Box console. There is a dayroom with 2 PC’s, internet access, sky and DVD player, a kitchen and dining area.
Currently, three of the spaces are being re-designed to offer the young people a more friendly and appropriate space in which they can receive their treatment.
In light of this, the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) has plans to completely refurbish the rest of the unit. This work is currently being designed and the TCT hope to have completed the refurbishment by spring 2008.
Types of Cancer and Treatment
Teenagers who are treated on the unit can be suffering from a range of different types of cancer, including: Bone and soft tissue tumours, brain tumours, testicular and gynaecological cancers and a range of adult type tumours. For further information look at www.clic4tic.org.uk
Treatment is intensive and hard. Patients are generally having chemotherapy every 3 weeks, and stay with us for anything from 2 nights to a week, if they stay well! Chemotherapy treatment has many side effects, which are explained further at www.cancerbacup.org.uk
Staff
The staff are empathetic to the issues of adolescence, leading to the provision of a unique type of care to this group of cancer patients. On the unit we try to create a home from home environment, with day rooms and kitchens, and an open visiting policy. Patients can also have someone stay with them overnight if they wish.
The Environment
The environment is intended to be kept as relaxed as possible, encouraging adolescent ‘normality’, not turning the lights on till 10am, for example. For a no-holes-barred view of life as a teenager or adult undergoing treatment for cancer visit, www.jimmyteenstv.com a web site full of patient videos, films and cartoons.
The Project:
The award is open to artists using a range of media, i.e. painting, printmaking, photography, textiles, and wall-mounted sculpture and preferably those with ‘artist in residence’ experience and/or that of working with vulnerable people in a healthcare setting.
The project aims to provide opportunities for patients, staff and visitors to observe and participate in the creative process of an artist and bring the enjoyment of art and artworks into the hospital environment. The artist will be required to involve participants in stimulating and enjoyable creative activities, suitable for the ward and its users, and give those involved opportunities for self-expression.
As an outcome of the project the artist will be required to produce one artwork for UHB, Cancer Centre Young People’s Unit, which will improve or add to the existing hospital environment, and one artwork to help broaden the PiH collection. In addition to the residency project the artist will be given the opportunity of a two week exhibition at PiH’s gallery in the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2009.
Location and Timescale:
The residency will take place at Queen Elizabeth Centre for the Treatment of Cancer in the Young People’s Unit at the University Hospital Birmingham (UHB), Birmingham, B15 2TH, during an agreed 10-12 week period, between the start of June and September 2008.
Selection Criteria and Process:
Each artist will devise her/his own working process in relation to the needs and interests of the designated ward and its users. The artist should understand that their working process must be flexible.
We are particularly interested in hearing from artists with relevant experience of working with vulnerable people in a healthcare setting and who are confident in their approach. The selection of each artist will be made on the following criteria:
- relevant previous experience
- strength of the proposal / outline put forward
- the proposed working process / media
- examples of your previous works and the suitability of the proposed works for permanent display in the hospital and inclusion in the PiH Collection
The appointed artist will need a Criminal Records Bureau check to be carried out by the hospital.
Contact time:
An appropriate amount of contact time for working in the designated ward will be agreed between PiH, the hospital and the artist. The aim of the contact time is for the artist to engage with patients and staff, facilitating an exchange of ideas and encouraging participation through discussion and activities where appropriate. A member of the hospital staff will be available to the artist during contact sessions and the Project Manager from Paintings in Hospitals will support the artist over the course of the residency through visits and meetings.
Production time for artworks:
The artist is expected to produce one finished art work for permanent display in the hospital and a second piece for the PiH loan collection. The residency period may be perceived as a time of research towards the production of finished work, OR, the work produced in collaboration with patients during contact sessions may become central to the finished works. All completed work will need to be wall mounted and all work must be produced in accordance with health and safety regulations. Works must be suitable for permanent exhibition in the hospital and for PIH’s loan collection. Site visits will be made to the artist during the production of final artworks.
Artworks must be completed by 31 December 2008.
Please not that PiH is unable to provide studio accommodation and the artist will be required to make arrangements for such a facility if required.
Fees and Costs:
The artist’s Residency Fee totals £10,000. This fee covers the residency period of 2 days per week for 10-12 weeks, materials to be used during the residency, production time and the materials required for final artworks. Framing, presentation and installation costs for the two final pieces will be covered by PiH separately. Travel and other additional expenses are not refundable by PiH.
The majority of costs (rental of gallery space, invitation and opening night) for the artists Menier Gallery exhibition in 2009 will be covered by Paintings in Hospitals. Any costs in addition to the financial support provided by PiH must be met by the artist.
TO APPLY:
Please send up to 10 slides / photographs / images of your work on disk, your CV and a supporting letter outlining your interest in the project and detailing relevant experience. In addition to this, please complete and return p.5 of this information pack, describing a possible approach that you may take to the residency, your chosen media and working method to involve patients, visitors and staff.
Receipt of your entry will only be acknowledged if you enclose a stamped addressed postcard with your application. If you require the return of your application you will need to enclose a stamped addressed envelope (pre-paid registered post if required).
Applicants are specifically asked NOT to contact staff in the Cancer Centre Young People’s Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Centre for the Treatment of Cancer at the University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) for further information on this project.
Deadline for receipt of applications: 5pm, Friday 15 February 2008. Short-listed candidates will be contacted by Friday 14 March and we regret that due to the number of entries we are unable to give feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
Interviews: Short-listed candidates will be invited to interview on Wednesday 26 or Thursday 27 March 2008.
Please send your application to:
Helen Bonar, Senior Curator, Paintings in Hospitals, First Floor,
Menier Chocolate Factory, 51 Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU
