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Houston’s art and medical community are finding new ways to work together. The latest is the Healing Arts exhibit in the Methodist Hospital in the Medical Center.
Enter the Methodist Hospital and you are greeted with more than just a stark medical building lobby a fountain and person playing a baby grand piano greet the eyes and ears. A glance up the escalators to the second floor mezzanine, and the walls are covered with photographs. They are all part of the Healing Arts Exhibition Series. The first one, on view now through August, is called “Healing Nature.” The Methodist Hospital Center for Performing Arts Medicine is taking on the new project. The Center’s Director Aline Wilson says the exhibition is a natural extention of their mission.
Visitors and doctors strides do slow down as they pass the photos of bayous, prairie lands and lakes to name a few.
The Museum of Fine Arts Houston helped with putting the exhibition together. This is not the first time Curator of Photography Anne Wilkes-Tucker has helped with projects in the Medical Center, but she does say this is the most extensive exhibition she’s been involved in in a medical setting. She says the hospital setting does influence what was selected, for one thing, the photos are not to be depressing.
The Center for Perfomring Arts Medicine plans to put on two exhibitions a year. Officials are distributing surveys to gage the interest of hospital staff in the display. They are also putting together a performing arts series which recently featured the Doctor’s Orchestra of Houston.