Healing Walls for NYC Health + Hospitals

Dannielle Tegeder was selected for the The Arts in Medicine Community Mural Project of 2020 at Queen’s Hospital. The project was made possible by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination fund to re-imagine hospitals and promote wellness and healing through visual art. The project was the largest public hospital mural project since the 1930s, when the Depression era Works Progress Administration supported the creation of hundreds of murals across New York City’s public hospitals.

In 2020, Queens Hospital in New York City was considered to be an epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the highest death toll in the country. The healthcare workers at Queens Hospital faced extreme challenges during this time, with long hours, limited resources, and high rates of infection and burnout. During this moment of tragedy, the mural became a tool for catharsis and healing, community and respite. The project invited physicians and staff to participate, with triple masking and safe distancing the collaborative project became a site of inspiration and hope.

Documentation by Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.