“While the patients apparently weren’t aware of the artwork as an important element of their bodily praxis in the environment when asked, their movements however indicated signs of their tacit awareness of the artwork’s presence, presumably as something infusing more ease and safety than having their back up against a white wall or looking at the art. As anthropologist Daniel Miller writes: “The surprising conclusion is that objects are important, not because they are evident and physically constrain or enable, but quite the opposite. It is often precisely because we do not see them” (Miller, 2010, p. 50).”
“Some researchers dismiss abstract art as unsuitable for hospital use, due to “the perceived ambiguity of meaning in abstract art, which is maintained as being too open-ended for patients to interpret, as they are often experiencing states of unfamiliarity, vulnerability, stress, unpredictability, and uneasiness,” Mullins said. He and his colleagues think that other factors matter more than style, including size and placement, color and contrast (patients prefer bright colors), shape, and movement (to which patients respond well).”
“The Art and the Brain conference aims to encourage an interdisciplinary discussion between archaeologists, neurophysiologists and artists to develop current understandings and interpretations of non-verbal communication and the development of art in prehistory. Recent developments in the fields of neurophysiology and neuroaesthetics have highlighted the limitations, capacities and facilities of the brain with respect to our perception and cognition.”
“Embodied cognition is “the sense of drawing you in and making you really feel the quality of the paintings,” Tyler explained. For example, viewers appreciate Botticelli’s painting “The Birth of Venus” because it makes them feel as though they are floating in with Venus on the seashell. Similarly, viewers can feel the flinging of the paint on the canvas when appreciating a drip painting by Jackson Pollock.”
“Creative placemaking not only lifts up a neighborhood physically with murals and sculpture and investments in artist housing, galleries and theaters, it helps strengthen the local economy, as eye-catching storefronts, new cultural activities and intriguing installations bring in customers and attract new businesses. It increases a sense of community identity and local pride. It can make a neighborhood a more interesting, livable place.
But most importantly arts and culture are a powerful force that help shape a neighborhood’s narrative — telling the story of what kind of place it is, changing its reputation and its trajectory.”
“After analyzing 15 studies that had people looking at art for different reasons, neuroscientist Oshin Vartanian explained in a Q&A that “areas of the brain involved in processing emotion and those that activate our pleasure and reward systems are also being engaged.” Essentially, parts of the brain that are associated with contemplation are automatically sparked when viewing art, even if they aren’t thinking about it critically.”
“Patients, especially those anxious about undergoing procedures and tests, respond well to the visual stimulation, finding it reduces their stress. And despite the fact that many hospitals face budget shortfalls, they often can purchase or commission art through funds supported by donations, or those built into budgets for new construction.”
“The arts and cultural industries provide jobs, attract investments, and stimulate local economies through tourism, consumer purchases, and tax revenue. Perhaps more significantly, they also prepare workers to participate in the contemporary workforce, create communities with high appeal to residents, businesses, and tourists, and contribute to the economic success of other sectors.”
“Nanda, who has a doctorate in architecture with a specialization in health-care systems and design, says scientific studies show that art can aid in the recovery of patients, shorten hospital stays and help manage pain. But she says it has to be the right art — vivid paintings of landscapes, friendly faces and familiar objects can lower blood pressure and heart rate, while abstract pictures can have the opposite effect.”
“Studies have demonstrated links between the physical environment and patient outcomes in several areas, according to research cited by the Center for Health Design:
Reducing staff stress and fatigue and increasing effectiveness in delivering care.
Improving patient safety.
Reducing stress and improving outcomes.
Improving overall health quality.”
‘According to Bach, studies have looked at the economic development benefits of art, but only just recently have there been wider examinations of the effect of art on a community’s sense of place. The Knight Foundation’s Soul of the Community initiative surveyed some 43,000 people in 43 cities and found that “social offerings, openness and welcome-ness,” and, importantly, the “aesthetics of a place – its art, parks, and green spaces,” ranked higher than education, safety, and the local economy as a “driver of attachment.”’
“Shining a spotlight on art and cultural relationships and business provides a better understanding between people of diverse nations. The quest for better communications through the arts help define businesses. By associating with the arts, businesses have discovered that their brands are enhanced and increase their reach and in the end their profitability.”
“Instead of simply treating the outcomes of bad habits, design allows us to create interactions that systematically motivate people to make sustainable changes in their own lives. We can design interventions that target not only the physical body, but also the mind, social situation, environment and internal motivation that drive behavior change.”
“Fundamentally, human nature revels in the creative side of life. Art chronicles the history of humans and some of the very finest individual accomplishments of the human race. Unlike museums of natural history, art museums document and enshrine human creativity. Without creativity, without innovation, there’s nothing new in our future.”
“This report features award winning new hospital architecture, hospital art and their impact on the health of patients.”
“Research has shown the thoughtful use of colours, lights, art, texture and performing arts in hospitals can aid a person’s recovery, and create a lasting impression to everyone who visits and works there.”
“We wanted people to walk in the door and feel better—that they were in a positive space with a lot of light and pleasant colors and things of beauty to look at.”
“This brings us to the aesthetics of entryways, which are charged with creating that welcoming atmosphere. This is perhaps most critical in healthcare facilities, where visitors are dealing with illness, stress, and matters of life and death; not surprisingly, the stereotype of the hospital setting is one of gloom and sterility.”
“What the researchers did find was significant improvement in facility-related satisfaction scores such as noise level (39.9 percent vs. 59.3 percent), pleasantness of décor (33.6 percent vs. 66.2 percent), and visitor (family) accommodation and comfort (50 percent vs. 70.3 percent). Likewise, there was great improvement in perception of room cleanliness (49 percent vs. 68.6 percent). Also there was a significant (5 percent) increase in patients who would recommend the hospital to others.”
“The “Arts & Economic Prosperity IV” study is a valuable document with tons of detailed information drawn from 182 geographical regions.
Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cultural organizations and their audiences have a combined impact of $3.3 billion on the region’s economy.
Arts and culture supports 44,000 full-time equivalent jobs throughout the region.
Arts and culture returns $1.04 billion in household income to Southeastern Pennsylvania residents.
Cultural tourism is a valuable asset for the region, injecting nearly $230 million in direct spending into the economy.”
“While hospitals around the country are beginning to embrace the beauty of a restorative environment in the healing process, New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) is training interior designers to specialize in assisting healthcare facilities and hospitals to curate an environment designed for healing.”
“The role of art in healthcare settings goes back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians. Apparently aware of the fact that images of nature induce healing, they painted murals of nature, usually with blue ceilings to represent the sky and green floors to represent the earth, in their healing temples.”
“The activities of the arts and culture sector and local economic vitality are connected in many ways. Arts, culture, and creativity can
-improve a community’s competitive edge
-create a foundation for defining a sense of place
-attract new and visiting populations
-integrate the visions of community and business leaders
-contribute to the development of a skilled workforce”
“In 2006 a Department of Health Working Group on Arts and Health reported that the arts have ‘a clear contribution to make and offer major opportunities in the delivery of better health, wellbeing and improved experience for patients, service users and staff alike’.”
“The fact that patients frequently express a preference for landscape and nature scenes is consistent with this observation and with evolutionary psychological theories which predict positive emotional responses to flourishing natural environments.”
“The benefit of art in healthcare is in the experience of the art. While it may be dismissed by some as merely decoration, decades of research in Europe and the United States concludes otherwise. The role art plays in an overall strategy to produce healing environments has been measured against health and economic outcomes.”
‘”If an art installation gets a patient out of his room or paintings take a person’s mind off their pain and lower their stress levels, the art isn’t just decorative anymore. It’s part of the entire model of care,” said Harris, who oversees a $1.5 million art program, funded entirely by philanthropic donors, that launched last December.’
“Rural America is undergoing a profound economic restructuring, and many small towns have turned to their cultural and arts assets as sources of new economic development and a hook for retaining and recruiting young talent. Regional site visits to Wilson and Kinston, North Carolina, provided ideas and inspiration for arts revitalization strategies.”
“The arts are essential to the health and vitality of our communities and our nation. They improve the quality of life in our cities and town. They enhance community development; spur urban renewal; attract new businesses; draw tourism dollars; and create an environment that attracts skilled, educated workers and builds your third millennium workforce.”
“Researchers conducted two experiments designed to measure the affect positive emotions, such as amusement, awe, compassion, contentment, joy, love, and pride, have on the cytokine Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a marker for inflammation.”
‘”That awe, wonder, and beauty promote healthier levels of cytokines suggests that the things we do to experience these emotions — a walk in nature, losing oneself in music, beholding art — has a direct influence upon health and life expectancy,” Dacher Keltner, co-author of the study and psychologist at the University of California-Berkeley, said in a press release.’
‘”That awe, wonder and beauty promote healthier levels of cytokines suggests that the things we do to experience these emotions — a walk in nature, losing oneself in music, beholding art — has a direct influence upon health and life expectancy,” said UC Berkeley psychologist Dacher Keltner, a co-author of the study.’
“Hospitals are turning to art as part of a broader push to create a healing environment as studies show that visual art can help reduce stress for patients and increase satisfaction with care. Dr. Iva Fattorini and Jennifer Finkel, who are both involved with art at the Cleveland Clinic, discuss on Lunch Break with Tanya Rivero.”
“The culture of a community significantly shapes debate and action that lead to development. Local culture also presents unique options for locally based economic, social, and other developments. Local understandings and interpretations of a community’s history reflect past events that feed into and are partially driven by the demands, sentiments, and interests of those in the present. This makes it crucial for community development practitioners to consider the cultural importance of efforts to improve local well-being.”
“The experience of art in whatever form has long been characterized as pleasurable both to the senses and to the intellect (Dutton, 2009).
These findings are consistent with our hypothesis, leading us to propose that the appeal of visual art involves activation of reward circuitry based on artistic status alone and independently of its hedonic value.”
‘Art is not just for artists or relegated to galleries and museums. As Dr. Chu shared during her visit, “Nobody helps make a community distinctive and vital more than the arts – the new paradigm is arts and community vitality are so critical to one another – the arts are there for everyone, they are a part of our everyday lives.”‘
“In the journal “NeuroImage”, Emory University School of Medicine researchers found that parts of the brain involved in making decisions, taking risks and experiencing pleasure — the ventral striatum and the hypothalamus — are activated more from viewing paintings than photographs that represent similar themes.”
“Placemaking is the art of developing a public space that attracts people. In the process, it almost always pays economic dividends back to the community.”
“Places that incorporate local heritage and artists attract more tourists, and residents feel a stronger connection to such places. The Arts and Economic Prosperity III report from Americans for the Arts states that annual support in the arts generates a 7:1 return.”
“In recent years, design for health care environments has begun to include esthetic enhancements in an attempt to reduce stress and anxiety, increase patient satisfaction, and promote health and healing. In this paper, the authors survey the existing research on those elements of the built and natural environment most often asserted by proponents as being inherently healing or promoting health.”
“More specifically, there is evidence that engagement with artistic activities, either as an observer of the creative efforts of others or as an initiator of one’s own creative efforts, can enhance one’s moods, emotions, and other psychological states as well as have a salient impact on important physiological parameters.”
“We put people in a scanner and showed them a series of paintings every ten seconds. We then measured the change in blood flow in one part of the brain.”
“The reaction was immediate. What we found was the increase in blood flow was in proportion to how much the painting was liked.”
“The blood flow increased for a beautiful painting just as it increases when you look at somebody you love. It tells us art induces a feel good sensation direct to the brain.”
“It starts with the inherent value of culture, continues through all the social and educational benefits and only ends with the economic.”
“The inherent value of culture, its contribution to society, its symbiotic relationship with education and, yes, its economic power (but in that order) … this is what we call the holistic case for public support of arts and culture.”
“Communities with visible, thoughtful public art thrive because people want to be there. Public art invigorates our sense of place and excites us about where we are. In turn, art bolsters civic fundamentals: pride, economic growth and population retention.”
-OKC artist Romy Owens makes case for further investments in public art.
“The arts give people a creative voice, a path to leadership, a way to express shared values, and to create a shared experience working together toward meaningful outcomes. There is consensus among social scientists, historians, educators, and activists that it is exactly these kinds of experiences that helps to build community. Working in and through the arts becomes another way to help people meet the economic, ecological and social challenges of the future.”
“And the more recent research of Semir Zeki (link is external), University of London, connects the mere viewing of art with an increase in dopamine and activity in the brain’s frontal cortex, resulting in feelings of pleasure that are similar to being the throws of romantic love. What’s more, positive sensations are almost immediate when viewing an enjoyable or stirring work of art.”
“Recent research on visual art has focused on its psychological and physiological effects, mostly in clinical populations. It has shown that visual art interventions have stabilizing effects on the individual by reducing distress, increasing self-reflection and self-awareness, altering behaviour and thinking patterns, and also by normalizing heart rate, blood pressure, or even cortisol levels.”
“Increase connection to nature. A number of studies have presented strong evidence that even 3 to 5 minutes of contact with nature can significantly decrease stress, reduce anger and fear, and increase pleasant feelings.8-11 This calming effect can be achieved by providing views to the outside, interior gardens or aquariums, or artwork with a nature theme.”