Photo caption: ArtWorks for Cancer pieces around Humber River Health’s Cancer Care Clinic.
By: Shahana Gaur
On June 8, Humber River Health's Cancer Care Clinic underwent a vibrant transformation with the installation of 81 pieces of art, thanks to a generous initiative led by the not-for-profit foundation ArtWorks for Cancer (AWFC). The installation, which spans waiting areas, consult rooms, and treatment spaces, is part of a larger mission to turn sterile clinical environments into warm, hopeful, and healing spaces for patients, their families, and the health care teams that support them.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is life-altering, and the path through treatment can be emotionally and physically exhausting. The journey often begins in the clinical setting, where every detail, from the tone of the provider's voice to the visual environment, can influence how a patient copes with their diagnosis and care. Increasingly, research in neuroscience and health care design has pointed to the powerful role art can play in promoting healing and well-being.
Evidence suggests that exposure to visual art in clinical environments can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and even modulate pain perception. Images of nature, calming abstract patterns, and colourful compositions are found to stimulate areas of the brain associated with pleasure and relaxation. These effects can help offset the stress and clinical detachment often associated with medical spaces.
“At Humber River Health, we are always looking for ways to support our patients not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well," says Suzi Laj, Program Director of Critical Care and Oncology. “The addition of meaningful, thoughtfully selected artwork into our Cancer Care Clinic aligns perfectly with our emphasis on patient-centred care. We want this space to reflect hope, resilience and humanity, even during the most difficult times."
AWFC is dedicated to this very vision. Founded by volunteers, the foundation bridges the gap between artists willing to donate and health care institutions seeking to enrich their spaces. Their mission is rooted in the understanding that healing is more than medicine, it is also about nurturing the human spirit. By working directly with hospitals during every step of the selection, curation, and installation process, AWFC ensures that each project reflects the unique needs and identities of the patients and teams it serves.
Hospitals often lack dedicated funding for decor, and yet, the impact of environment on healing is definite. For patients undergoing chemotherapy or receiving difficult diagnoses, even a single image on the wall can offer a moment of peace or reflection. For families sitting in a waiting room, it can provide comfort during uncertainty. For clinicians, artwork can be a subtle but meaningful reminder of the humanity behind every chart and every procedure.
As part of their ongoing commitment to creating healing environments for patients, families, and staff, as well as building on this success, their next phase will bring similar artwork into the inpatient oncology unit on 13 West this fall, further extending the therapeutic impact of art to their cancer patients and families.
By transforming their Cancer Care Clinic into a more welcoming and visually enriched space, Humber River Health reaffirms their commitment to delivering safe, compassionate care.