Team

Larissa W. Trinder

Assistant Vice President of NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine

Larissa Trinder is responsible for stewarding NYC Health + Hospitals’ collection of more than 8,000 works of art, the largest such collection in New York City, as well as creating and implementing programs for patients, staff and the community that utilize the arts as a tool in healing. A seasoned professional with more than 20 years in the healthcare field, Larissa has a master’s degree in public policy from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Before joining H+H, Larissa worked for more than ten years at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, in philanthropy and creating programs to integrate the arts into the hospital system. She is a staunch advocate for the importance of the arts and humanities within a healthcare system to advance patient health outcomes, enhance staff engagement, morale and retention and to empower communities.

Monica Mariño

Director of Programs and Research

Monica Mariño has dedicated her career to making art accessible to a wide range of audiences in museums and educational settings. She believes in the healing power of the arts and is thrilled to bring her 20 years of experience as an arts advocate and educator to healthcare. As Director of Programs and Research, Monica builds upon and develops Arts in Medicine’s suite of programs to foster staff wellbeing, care across the community, and positive patient outcomes. Prior to joining H+H, Monica was the Senior Manager of Adult Learning Manager at the Brooklyn Museum, and held full-time positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the NYC Department of Education. Additionally, she served as a freelance educator and consultant for various museums and organizations in New York City and Buenos Aires.

Ryan Patrick

Director of Public Art

Ryan Patrick oversees Arts in Medicine’s exhibitions and installation portfolio, including curatorial programming for the Curating for Health platform, permanent and temporary art commissions, and collection stewardship. Previously, Ryan was Program Manager of the NYC Mural Arts Project, where he led public art initiatives in collaboration with artists, community-based organizations and advocacy groups to address mental health stigma. He holds an MFA in curatorial practice from the Maryland Institute College of Art. His work centers public art as a tool for health, civic engagement, and collective care.

Emireth Herrera Valdés

Curatorial and Community Engagement Associate

Emireth Herrera Valdés collaborates closely with the Director of Programming on the Community Mural Program and other public initiatives, emphasizing the transformative power of healing through the arts and celebrating the richness of diversity within the community’s diaspora. As an independent curator, Emireth has curated exhibitions for prestigious institutions including the Queens Museum, Penn State University, the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU, 601Artspace, and Flux Factory. Her curatorial practice is dedicated to socially-engaged projects and a nuanced exploration of issues surrounding migration, mobility, displacement, refugee experiences, and indigenous cultures. Emireth holds a M.A. in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University.

Ashley Arnold

Operations and Project Manager

Ashley Arnold provides support to the Arts in Medicine team through managing the Arts in Medicine Listserv communication, maintaining monthly reports, submitting and tracking invoices, and scheduling stakeholder meetings. Ashley received her Bachelors of Science in Media, Culture, and Communication from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Prior to joining NYC Health and Hospitals in 2021, she served as a Program Coordinator at The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment where she gained a deep knowledge of NYC’s arts and cultural sectors.

Arts in Medicine Advisory Council

History

NYC Health + Hospitals’ first arts advisory board was formed in the 1970s by architect Jack Shapiro as the “Fine Arts Committee for Health Care Facilities.” Later renamed the Art Advisory Board, it brought together leaders from New York’s major cultural institutions—such as the Whitney, Guggenheim, and Studio Museum in Harlem—alongside community advocates to democratize access to high-quality art in healthcare settings. The board prioritized distributing art throughout clinical spaces, reflecting the diversity of patients and staff, and supporting emerging artists. Though dissolved in the 1990s due to decentralization, its community-driven, healing-focused vision continues to guide Arts in Medicine’s approach today.

Present Day

In 2024, Arts in Medicine reestablished this body as the Art Advisory Council to guide strategy and stewardship across NYC Health + Hospitals. This non-governing body, meets quarterly to review projects, collection care, and programming direction, with members serving as expert advisors, advocates and ambassadors. Specialized working groups support deeper planning in areas like acquisitions policy, de-accessioning, historical gaps, and complex installations.

Council Members Include:

Leaders from NYC’s public art and design sectors, internal healthcare leadership, academics/art historian, Public Relations and Arts in Medicine staff.

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.