MaineGeneral Uses Art as Healing Tool

MaineGeneral has committed to using art as a healing tool. When designing the new building, the hospital opted for original artwork rather than the more typical framed posters we usually see. The facility also opted for local artists and edgier art.

“We wanted original art with a focus on nature themes,” says MaineGeneral Architect Paul Lewandowski. “But we also wanted Maine artists—to help give the artists exposure and also to connect with the patients.”

“One painting of a piece of green machinery in a field [The Old World by Veronica Cross] wasn’t a typical piece of hospital art, but it was something Maine patients might associate with,” says Paul. “In fact, I was driving one day and went past the machinery in the field. It was still out there in the landscape. Driving past, I was like: ‘Oh, wow, that’s the piece!’”

The Old World by Veronica Cross

“There was also a small work—12 inches by 12 inches or so—of a cow. We decided to hang that one in the children’s ER, and we hung it low on the wall, at child’s height. We weren’t so serious about it—we thought it might take away some stress for the children visiting.”