Last night I went to an event for National Coaching Fellows (I’m on their board). It was held at an art gallery, and it went extremely well. For the past few years, the organization has been struggling to feel legitimate (that’s a common problem with startups, non-profit or for-profit). Holding an event at a place with expensive art on the walls made a drastic difference—it felt real. Even though I’m not all that interested in art, there was no doubt in my mind that the art on the walls played a huge role in the mood of the event. RxArt is a New York City based non-profit that is taking advantage of this effect in a very different way. They curate contemporary art exhibitions in healthcare facilities to “relieve stress and anxiety, while increasing appreciation for contemporary art” for patients and staff. Considering how cold hospitals and doctor’s offices usually feel, I think this is an amazing idea.
Being a patient sucks. No matter how much better off you’ll be after going in for treatment, you never actually want to be in a medical facility. RxArt will never be able to change that, but they can make the process a little more pleasant. Through a variety of projects and working with a number of contemporary artistsRxArt is improving everyday people’s lives. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the health outcomes of people who are cared for in RxArt facilities end up being a tiny bit better than those in places with bare walls. I don’t know that we’ll ever seen an epidemiological study of RxArt’s effectiveness, so for now we’ll have to go off of their stories. If you’d like to be a part of those successes, then you might want to consider interning for RxArt. Right now they’re looking for an unpaid Intern (Idealist posting) to help with various tasks around the office. You can apply by sending a cover letter and résumé to diane_brown@rxart.net.
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Tags: administrative, arts, development, healthcare, Internships, medicine, New York, non-profit, unpaid
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