Working with visual artists

Our network of visual artists provides the foundation for everything we do, enabling us to build our prestigious and healthcare-relevant collection and provide our services. We work with artists from the established and famous to emerging artists and art college graduates. Our diverse collection comprises original, high quality, contemporary works across different media, subjects and techniques including oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints and photographs.

We aim to provide opportunities for artists through our engagement programme and site-specific commissions, as well as bringing new emerging and established artists into our collection. If you are interested in working with us please get in touch.

How we work with artists

Art has a positive impact in the prevention of ill health and to support or provide an alternative to treatment for ill health. Art can help to humanise the healthcare environment and the medical process. Behind every work of art there is an artist and we aim to support the ambition of artists to achieve more in a healthcare context.

Artists’ involvement with Art in Healthcare enables patients and residents in healthcare environments to engage with visual art in the following ways;

Actively - through our Engagement Programme
Participatory - engagement in the artistic creative process through our site-specific commissions
Access – by donating an artwork to our collection so that the widest public in Scotland will have increased access to high quality works of art.

We continuously seek and value the involvement of artists in the following:

Development of fundraising exhibitions and events
Provide copyright permission to reproduce your work of art for high quality merchandise such as greeting cards
Offer artwork for inclusion in our collection subject to our Art Policy and with advice from our Art Selection Committee
Deliver interactive art workshops as part of our Engagement Programme
Develop site-specific commissions in close collaboration with our medical partners and their patients or residents

To view our complete collection browse the gallery.

By the end we had all been on a journey and produced surprising work. There was a happy buzz about the place. There were real moments of connection with several members of the group and these insights are a valuable part of the workshops you offer. They show that even when expectations of people are not high, you can make breakthroughs using art. Art in Healthcare art workshop artist, Heather Lucchesi

How working with Art in Healthcare benefits artists

Personally participate in widening access to quality art across all walks of life
Benefit from the prestige of your artwork being part of the Art in Healthcare collection:

which can create awareness of your work and boost your career
be part of a unique collection of original, high calibre art comparable with other public collections
be part of a contemporary collection spanning 50 years of modern Scottish art and culture from the 1960s to date

Benefit from direct engagement with art workshop participants:help people to interact with art in a more participative and enjoyable way

enable individuals to get closer to their own creativity
draw on your own inspirations to scope and theme workshops to achieve specific health objectives
the personal satisfaction gained from helping people recuperate or achieve respite from illness is immense

The opportunity to develop bespoke site-specific commissions which fulfill specific healthcare needs is personally rewarding and career enhancing
Access to audiences to showcase your work through our exhibitions and events
We fundraise to support artists at their degree shows

This charity is one I am very happy to put my name to and to contribute artworks in the knowledge that the work will be carefully stored and will then be exhibited in a variety of healthcare settings. Artist Sarah Knox

Find out more

To find out more about getting involved call us call us on 0131 555 7638 or you can email us on admin@artinhealthcare.org.uk. Alternatively you can use our contact form by clicking on the button below.

Contact Us