“Every Patient Deserves a Room with a View”, Inspirational Paintings

Rather frequently we are approached with a crowdfunding campaign which is inspirational or just someone doing something good to help other people.  The humanitarian aspect of the power of crowdfunding is very important.  It is not just raising $10 Million for a very cool piece of tech or to fund the next Hollywood blockbuster.  It is every day people doing something new and different trying to impact the world around them.  This campaign is one of those types of projects.

Crowdfunding out of Buffalo, New York, Colleen Wall Darby is an artist in residence in an arts in healthcare initiative which was created by the Center for the Arts at the University of Buffalo.  Colleen spent a good portion of her life in advertising but back in 2008 she decided to reconsider what she was doing  with her life.  And today she is doing good with a crowdfunding project to “transform healthcare spaces.”

I think when I was a kid I found myself in the emergency room about every other week.  Usually normal things like stitches or a coach wondering it I had broken my nose.   I cannot remember a single trip which was enjoyable.  And I do remember the sterile, bland surroundings with walls painted green.  No one enjoys a trip to the hospital.  Colleen wants to improve this experience and she has started by taking a month off from her day job to complete this project.

Her inspiration came from “an experience she had while working on the oncology floor. she remembers it was a sunny Spring morning when she walked into a patient’s room and said, “What a beautiful day it is outside.” The patient looked back at her from her bed and said “It always looks the same from here.” she felt like she had made such an insensitive comment. But in that awkward moment, she had this thought:  every patient deserves a room with a view”.

So she is creating 2o inspirational landscape paintings to be installed in exam rooms, infusion units and waiting rooms.  She wants to alter this sterile, cold medical environment to one which is more inviting – for those who must endure time being treated and for their loved ones.

Crowdfunding on Kickstarter, Colleen is well past her goal of $10,000 so the project is fully funded. She stands at over $16,000 raised as of today but with funding continuing until October 4th there is plenty of time to push this further.  If you are interested in helping out she is also offering some of her paintings up as a reward.