Drs. Sonya Corbin Dwyer and Jennifer Buckle

These are a selection of photos, taken by Dr. Sonya Corbin Dwyer, that were part of the Patient Selection Art Program, as adapted by Dr. Corbin Dwyer and Dr. Jennifer Buckle.

The intersection of art and health is a growing interdisciplinary field that embraces many forms of art to promote wellness, enhance health service delivery, and enrich research inquiry. Much of the research on art and health examines the effectiveness of art therapy programs, which require a trained therapist delivering art-based interventions. The role of the presence of art in healthcare settings, outside of art therapy, has yet to be fully explored.

Drs. Sonya Corbin Dwyer and Jennifer Buckle adapted a patient selection art program (Suter & Baylin, 2007) and implemented it in two units within Western Health; in the Palliative Care Unit and in Humberwood Centre, a residential provincial addictions treatment facility. They are interested in exploring the role of the choice and individual room display of art in the experience of clients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. The program provides clients with an opportunity to choose a piece of art from a catalogue of options to be displayed in their room during their stay. The art consists of canvas printed photographs donated by individual professional and amateur photographers, and the Department of Health and Social Development in the Nunatisavut Government. Questionnaires are available for participants to provide their feedback on the program. Early results from the project indicate a positive response, with clients stating that it gave them an element of choice in their own care, allowed them to modify their space in a way they appreciated, brought them a sense of comfort and peacefulness, and helped make their room feel more like home.

Drs. Corbin Dwyer and Buckle have just developed and implemented the same program for Willow House, a domestic violence shelter for women and their children.

Suter, E., & Baylin, D. (2007). Choosing art as a complement to healing. Applied Nursing Research, 20, 32-38.

This research received funding from the Vice-President (Grenfell Campus) Research Fund, Memorial University of Newfoundland.