The north wing of Christus St. Patrick Hospital’s emergency department has been transformed into a more inviting space for the facility’s youngest patients and their families.
Seven murals created by three local artists have been installed in the area as part of a nearly yearlong project.
Cara Wyland, Children’s Miracle Network director for the Christus St. Patrick Foundation, said officials wanted the walls “to come alive” to create a peaceful place for children.
“I think that the artists did an extraordinary job of that,” Wyland said.
She said some of the themes found throughout the murals include depictions of Jesus with children, scenes of nature and animal life, and Scriptures that bring “God’s word to life.”
Wyland said artist Candice Alexander was approached to do the project. But Alexander said it would “take a village of other artists” to complete it and brought in Erica Nelson and Burn Rourk.
“I’m extremely grateful that we had the opportunity to do this,” Alexander said. “I think that this is not only inspiring and hopeful for the patients but for other projects that can make a temperature change in a place that can seem a lot colder.”
Nelson said the project resonated for her because she tends to suffer from panic attacks when in a hospital. “I wanted to help others in that situation feel more relaxed,” she said.
The murals, said Nelson, include familiar images that people, especially children, can relate to “so that they would feel at home and safe.” The team’s goal, she said, was to let people know that “all will be well” and to “create images that tell that story.”
Alexander said the work was created originally in watercolors and on a smaller scale. Rourk, a graphic artist, said he came into the project when they had all the individual pieces of artwork.
“I had to pull it all together into one coherent image,” he said. “Each individual animal was a separate painting. We had to scan them in and piece them all together. That is where I came in. I had to pull it all into one solid piece.”
Rourk called the finished work “incredible.”
“You have to see it in person to understand the scope of it,” he said. “You have to stand in front of it to understand how massive this project was.”
Wyland said the project was funded through money raised by the Children’s Miracle Network in its 51⁄2-parish coverage area. She said the project was deemed a priority for the funds.
“People want to touch (the murals). They have been so excited about them,” Wyland said. “They just come in and look at them, and you can tell that it just puts a peaceful awe over everybody.”
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