Discover how arts in medicine transform hospitals to support healing, well-being, and community engagement.

In this episode of Art Heals All Wounds, I sit down with Larissa Trinder, the Assistant Vice President for Arts in Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals. Larissa shares the transformative power of art within healthcare, discussing how intentional art initiatives and community engagement can improve hospital environments, support staff, and promote wellness for patients—including those in marginalized communities.

Key Topics Covered

· Larissa’s Path to Arts in Medicine:
Larissa shares her personal journey, starting with her son’s experience with dyslexia and the role of art in boosting his self-esteem, ultimately leading to his career as an animator.

· History of NYC Health + Hospitals’ Art Collection:
The hospital system holds over 7,500 works of art, one of the largest public art collections in NYC, originating from the 1930s Works Progress Administration. The collection includes iconic works like Abram Champanier’s Alice in Wonderland panels and a Keith Haring mural raising AIDS awareness.

· Art as a Tool for Engagement and Healing:
Larissa explains how art programs serve not just to beautify spaces, but to foster community, support staff well-being, and highlight critical social issues like gun violence and support for asylum seekers.

· Highlighted Projects:

o Art programs in correctional health services at Rikers Island, including a mural at the reentry center co-created by incarcerated individuals and artist Dindga McCannon.

o Guns Down, Life Up—an arts initiative embedded in hospital violence prevention programs.

Upcoming Events & Announcements

· Documentary Premiere:
Hidden Art Healing Walls will air on WNET’s Treasures of New York and all PBS stations in early 2026, showcasing the Art in Medicine program.

· Major Exhibition:
An exhibition of the Abram Champanier murals opens at the Museum of the City of New York, June–September 2026—the museum’s largest show of the year.

· New Exhibitions:

o We Belong Here (opens June 4, 2026): An exhibition highlighting immigrant support through NYC Care, with works by three immigrant artists displayed citywide.

o Housing for Health/Street Health Outreach: In collaboration with NYU’s Healing Arts Week (fall 2026), featuring art created by patients experiencing homelessness.

How to Learn More

· Bloomberg Connects App:
Search for NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine to view a digital collection and learn more about their programming.

· Official Website:
NYC Health + Hospitals – Arts in Medicine
(Note: The site is being updated but contains extensive information.)

· Book:
Healing Walls – Features photos and stories of the community mural program.

· Therman Statom

· Roger Ulrich

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Larissa Trinder – Arts in Medicine & Healing