Common Misconceptions About “Local” Art

Cholla Cactus_1012

Using local art for hospitals is a growing trend for many good reasons. It is nice to support local artists and they might have art that reflects unique features of the community. However at the HCD08 conference, Kathy Hathorn warned about the downside of insisting on local art.

Common Misconceptions About “Local” Art

• Local Art is within the budget
• Local Art is high quality
• Local Art is appropriate for patients
• Local Art is appropriate for project

Just because local art is made nearby does not mean it will be a better value. It pays to shop around.

Local art may be interesting, but it might not be appropriate for patients. The cactus picture above is from the Southwest, but that does not mean it is appropriate for display in hospitals. All those sharp needles can remind patients of blood draws and injections.

To help keep these problems under control, Kathy suggests having written goals for the art program. Have a clear definition about what "local" means. She suggests giving priority to quality over locality. To make sure you reach the largest pool of artists, put out a formal "Call for Artists"

Another post on this blog about this topic is "Finding Local Art". Click here

Kathy Hathorn is the CEO and the Creative Director at American Art Resources

Comments

[Kevin Sink]

I think if the art is not from the region where it will be placed, then caption plaques might be a good idea. By far, "Where is that picture taken" is THE most common question we get asked when presenting at shows & exhibits. People seem to crave relevance to a photograph. I agree that there is too much emphasis on the subject matter of the art being from the region of the installation. As long as people know where it is, it seems to resolve the issue. As my friend & wonderful painter Mike Savage says, "Art is simple - either you like it or you don't!"

[Patrice Erickson]

The University of Michigan Health Care System hospital in Ann Arbor has a Gifts of Art Program that includes exhibitions of art by local artists (I was one) throughout sections of the hospital. Here's the website: http://www.med.umich.edu/goa/programs.htm . For the hospital it's a low budget way to have art on display. For artists a great way to gain exposure. A small commission on sales goes to help support the program.