Waikato Hospital provides art gallery for patients

Zig Zag Road by Karl Maughan, 2007. Photo / Supplied

Waikato Hospital teamed up with the Wallace Art Trust to make the hospital walls more colourful with a loan of paintings.

More than 60 pieces by various contemporary New Zealand artists have been put up around the hospital campus for patients, visitors and staff to enjoy long-term.

Waikato Hospital Arts Committee co-chairs Dr Stephen Ng, Dr Cam Buchanan and curator Kate Darrow have worked with the Wallace Arts Trust to secure the indefinite exhibition.

Dr Ng said the project was driven by the hospital's art committee.

"This has been a Waikato Hospital Arts Committee driven project and we are very grateful and excited for the opportunity to display artwork from the Wallace Arts Trust in our hospital. Art plays an important part in hospitals to help promote recovery and art softens the hard edges of the clinical spaces," Dr Ng said.

Although the exhibition is planned to stay up for long-term, some pieces may be swapped with others from the trust's collection over time.

The hospital's vision for the future is to transform their walls with the help of art to welcome, soothe and add value to healthcare for patients, visitors and staff. To reflect New Zealand's cultural make-up, the focus will be on works by New Zealand contemporary artists.

Visitors are able to do a self-guided tour thanks to a map of the artworks across the hospital.