Hope flows from one patient to another in summer art tile project

A treasure chest of frustration. A lone goldfish swimming in a bowl. The word “hope” stretched across a sunrise.

These are just a few of the themes of masonite tiles decorated by Clinical Center patients as part of a project called “The Art of Healing: The patient tile project.” The Recreation Therapy Section’s goal for the summer project, which ran from June through August, was to collect 100 tiles filled with images and phrases that capture the personal symbols of patient experiences at the CC.

Patients saw the process as a way to make a statement about their experience of illness, have their voice heard, and give a thing of beauty back to the CC community.

The tiles were made at a drop-in clinic on Monday mornings. Megan Robb, a board certified art therapist at the CC, and Natalie Haynes, a certified recreation therapist, traveled to patient units so that patients who must remain in bed, connected to medical devices, or in isolation had a chance to participate.

Robb stressed that the tile project had been collaborative with the CC community since the beginning. The tile installation design and title came from a patient who is a professional artist. Several 1NW nurses suggested displaying tiles made by pediatric patients on their unit. Other staff across units were very supportive of hosting art clinics to create tiles specific to patient experiences, such as receiving donated blood stem cell transfusions to treat cancer or fighting alcoholism or mental illness.

The tiles will be displayed in a flowing wall installation. The theme—hope flows from one to another—expresses the critical importance of the support from the community at the CC, not just from staff, but from the patients themselves. Through the tile project, patients described how they rely on each other for understanding, strength, and friendship.

Patients created their tiles from copper cut-out shapes, game pieces with letters, paint, and a texturized modeling paste. Robb, the CC art curators, and the CC art committee are still deliberating about how to best tell the stories that accompany the tiles. Some patients wrote short descriptions of the significance of their work. Others wanted to display their names on the tiles and contribute to a book of testimonials.

Family members, caregivers, and staff helped patients create their tiles. “Creating a piece of art together breaks down the traditional roles and boundaries between staff and patients and lets us interact in new ways,” Robb said.

According to Robb, the tile project was a therapeutic art activity—it had a theme and an end product. Art therapy, on the other hand, is a client-driven process with an unknown destination that is rarely displayed in public. Although Robb believes that making art is an inherently healing process whatever the context, she feels that a particularly important aspect of this project was the opportunity for patients to communicate their experience to CC physicians and staff.

“It’s a good visual reminder for staff that receiving care here can be a simultaneously fearful and hopeful experience, where our patients may alternate between feeling powerful and vulnerable as they progress through their journey,” Robb said.

CC patient Danielle Harriott and her mom, Cassandra Christopher, created tiles for the project that remind them of their home in Kingston, Jamaica, which they have been away from for more than a year. They painted the green-blue color of the ocean, the white sandy beaches, and their country’s flag.

“We’re very glad to be here,” Christopher said. “If we hadn’t come here, we would have lost Danielle already.”

by Jenny Haliski