Community Mural Project
The Community Mural Project builds upon a tradition that started in the 1930s when the depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) supported the creation of murals in virtually every New York City public hospital. From 2019 through 2021, dozens of artists collaborated with staff, patients and community members at each NYC Health + Hospitals location and created 26 murals.
From 2023 – 2025, Arts in Medicine engaged 34 artists and their assistants to produce 20 new murals. The aim of the program is to use a collaborative mural making process as a tool to build trust between the hospitals and their communities, foster a sense of belonging for staff, patients, and visitors, and to promote a sense of community and well-being. To date, Arts in Medicine has installed over 50 murals across NYC Health + Hospitals including “Healing for All” by artist Ebony Bolt at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi which took part in the first ever, global Hospital Murals Evaluation (HoME) Study.
The Community Mural Project is one of the best, most exciting and fun projects that I have seen in my close to 50 years in philanthropy. The activity of creating murals breaks down barriers and it’s also just a lot of fun. It makes people happy, it relieves stress, it builds teamwork, and it bolsters pride in the hospital.Laurie M. Tisch
Philanthropist, President of The Illumination Fund
Patients, staff, and community members who attended Community Mural paint parties reporting feeling:
Increased sense of belonging
Decrease in stress
Greater connection to staff & patients
More likely to choose NYC Health + Hospitals in the future
Find us on Bloomberg Connects; download the free app below. Patients, staff, and the community can learn more about the history and content of the Arts in Medicine Collection and our Programs at NYC Health + Hospitals.
