Recent visitors to the Support Site hospital and Capodichino clinic may have noticed new artwork in the waiting areas. The art, part of a temporary exhibit titled “The Art of Medicine,” is a collection of works by U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Naples employees.
“This is a neat way to showcase the talents of our staff members and bring awareness to the importance that art can play in healthcare,” says Captain Richard Knittig, commanding officer of USNH Naples.
The relationship between art and medicine has grown in a variety of ways from medical students attending art galleries, to patients creating art to express their symptoms, and even to comics being created to explain complex medical procedures. The purpose of “The Art of Medicine” exhibit is to bring awareness to the importance of holistic healthcare, display the creative side of USNH Naples staff members, and bring in a new look for the waiting areas.
Some of the pieces had already been created by staff members, such as the year-long afghan blanket squares knitted by Lt. Cmdr. Tshawnda Burke, a USNH Naples pediatrician. Other works of art were made specifically when the call for submissions went out, such as the piece by Hospitalman Valissa Ebersole. Ebersole, who works at the Capodichino Branch Health Clinic, created a multimedia piece titled “Hands On” which features clippings from the installation’s Panorama newspaper and handprints of Corpsmen from the clinic.
“I work in the laboratory where the inspiration for this piece came from,” says Ebersole. “The veins represent the lab and the patient is looking towards the hands which represent the people who provide healthcare. I used handprints from my coworkers to show how we all work as a team to deliver healthcare.”
Much as there are a variety of ways to utilize art in healing, the medium of artwork submitted runs the gamut. “The Art of Medicine” exhibit features paintings, photographs, drawings, chalks, and knitting. A common theme amongst the submissions was how the creation of art helped the artist relax, reflect on their jobs in healthcare, or even work through a difficult class, such as Lt. Cmdr. William Anderson’s piece “Calculus.” Whether aware of it or not, the artists were engaged in art therapy.
Lt. Kim Bui, a USNH Naples psychologist, has experience with art therapy – in fact, her submission “Space” was created when patients invited her to join their art therapy session. “Art therapy is an approach that involves the creative processes of art to improve one’s life. It’s believed that the pairing of actually creating the art – motor processing – and thinking about expression – cognitive processing – is what makes art therapy so beneficial,” says Bui.
“The Art of Medicine” exhibit will remain up until the end of the year, at which time the artwork will be returned to staff members. All are invited to view the exhibit in the Support Site hospital atrium or Capodichino clinic main waiting area Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
USNH Naples, the largest naval hospital in Europe, serves a diverse population of over 9,800 beneficiaries. Over 500 staff members at the main hospital, branch health clinic, and Navy Liaison Detachment in Landstuhl, Germany work tirelessly to keep warfighters in the fight and provide care for their families.