Hospital art exhibition providing profession-based experience, showcase for artists

For Northwest Missouri State University student Anaya Walker, working as the curatorial intern for the “Art of Healing Galleries” exhibition was an opportunity to create a soothing environment for patients and visitors of Mosaic Medical Center-Maryville.

“I wanted to help the hospital out because when I was little I went to the hospital a bit more than I do now, but seeing art made me calm down and feel less scared of being in that type of setting,” Walker said.

Under the guidance of Northwest Assistant Professor of Art Dr. Karen Britt, Walker was responsible for creating the exhibition’s timeline, collecting art entries, designing posters and handling public relations.

The senior graphic design major from St. Louis enjoyed seeing her hard work result in a successful exhibition opening.

“One of my favorite parts was seeing the joy light up on people’s faces, especially the artists when they saw their work on display,” Walker said. “It was lovely to see people gather around art and dive into discussions.”

Walker aspires to work with animation studios, and her internship with the “Art Healing Galleries” exhibition was an opportunity to apply the lessons of her coursework as well as further her graphic design, communication and administrative skills.

“This definitely helped because it gives me experience and, if you look at job applications, experience is very important,” Walker said. “This was very helpful in the long run for me to take these skills to other internships.”

Anaya Walker is the curatorial intern for the “Art of Healing Galleries” exhibition at Mosaic Medical Center-Maryville. (Photo by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)

“Art of Healing Galleries,” a collaborative partnership that Mosaic and Northwest began last year, represents an integration of the power of art with medicine. After a successful inaugural exhibit, the project’s second exhibit opened Dec. 1 and continues through March. The exhibition is free and open to the public at Mosaic Medical Center-Maryville, located at 2016 S. Main St.

It features 40 mixed media artworks, including hand-drawn pieces, portrait paintings, ceramic sculptures, nature photographs and metal structures. Featured artists include Dr. Michael Steiner, the dean of Northwest’s College of Arts and Sciences, and Frank Baudino, a research librarian at Northwest.

Three of Steiner’s submissions are displayed within the exhibit, including his painting “Glacial Swan Song,” which was recognized as the Best-of-Show piece.

Steiner became aware of the exhibition last year and was impressed with the concept of the project and its goal of showcasing regional artists at the hospital as well as the benefits of displaying art in the wellness environment. 

“I have made art for a very long time but was never terribly interested in seeking public display, but the benefits of this project, the excellent quality of the work and the opportunity to share gallery space with regional artists in a juried show drew me in this year,” Steiner said. “I did not really think at all about the competition aspect of it but appreciate the fact that juried selection makes for a really excellent show.”