New Environment for Healing in Santa Monica

Art can have profound healing effects on the body, mind and spirit. It can transform the often sterile and unfamiliar environment of a hospital into a comforting, harmonious area, to aid the healing process and create a rewarding work environment.

Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital has established a committee to review and select artwork to be displayed throughout the hospital. By choosing images of Santa Monica and the beach, the committee hopes to build a cultural bridge between the hospital and its community, as well as a holistic approach to the healing process.

The first artwork installed in the new, bustling Nethercutt Emergency Center's check-in area aims to be psychologically soothing and stress-reducing for both patients and staff.

In collaboration with Moodspace, artist Arjuna Noor has created a special, uniquely patented "live" artwork, which combines digital painting with photography and programmed lighting to create the illusion of swaying underwater plants.

Additional art will be installed in the upcoming months, including a ceramic tile photo-mural in the Emergency Center lobby and photo displays in the waiting area.