Art Program
The Art Program at Montage Health offers a unique, restorative experience, that goes beyond traditional healthcare settings. The art found throughout our facilities creates an interior space that is as therapeutic and beautiful as the natural landscape outside, providing patients and their family a space to heal, while also providing the opportunity for enjoyment and curiosity.
Healing benefits of medicine, nature, and art
Montage Health was founded on a progressive belief in the integrated healing benefits of medicine, nature, and art. Like the harmonious modernist architecture and forest setting of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, the art collection provides moments for calm reflection and brings the energy of creativity into the healthcare setting. More than half of hospitals in the United States now have art programs. Community Hospital was among the earliest to realize the value of art in medicine for patients, families, and employees.
The hospital’s art collection dates back to the 1960s and has grown through generous donations to Montage Health Foundation from artists and collectors. Today, the collection reflects the artistic legacy of the region and is a beloved community resource on view in all 25 of Montage Health’s facilities. Montage Health's art collection offers:
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Fountain Court
"Jerry Van Megert (born 1938), Untitled 1991. Gift of Cecilia M. Placzek, in memory of her father Thomas G. McGuire. ©Jerry Van Megert; Emile Norman (1918 – 2009), Four Fishes, 1963. Legacy Collection, ©Estate of Emile Norman"
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Garden North
"Rollin Pickford (1912 – 2010), 400 Beaumont PG, date unknown. Digital reproduction of original watercolor. Legacy Collection. ©Estate of Rollin Pickford."
Carol Hatton Breast Care Center
"Patricia M. Pierce-Atkinson (1942 – 1994), Untitled (Purple and Blue Swirl), 1986. Acrylic on linen. Gift of Kevin Causey and Cydney Payton. ©Estate of Patricia M. Pierce-Atkinson"
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Deep Space of the Sea exhibition
"Ryuijie and Camille Lenore Derendinger, Coral Street, and Seals, “Kanchi” series, 2018. Platinum-palladium prints. Maurine Church Coburn Endowment Fund, in honor of Jeanne Falk Adams. ©Ryuijie and Camille Lenore Derendinger"
Art and the patient experience
The Art Program is considered an essential partner to clinical care, community outreach, and employee wellbeing. It embraces best practices in the field, validated by research in the neuroscience and psychology of art in medical settings, studies show that art contributes to creating an environment and atmosphere where patients can feel safe, socialize, maintain a connection to the world outside the hospital, and support their identity.
The art program helps:
- Improve health outcomes
- Reduce length-of-stay
- Offer a positive diversion
- Support emotional processing and self-empowerment
- Provide wayfinding assistance
- Improve patient expectations and satisfaction
