Development of a Radiology Department Art Gallery: Theory Into Practice

The benefits of art in medicine have been well described but integration has remained elusive due to the lack of sustainable initiatives. This study highlights the development of an art gallery to address the lack of arts programming in the field of radiology.

A radiology department art gallery initiative was formalized in 2021 at a tertiary-care university academic medical center. Artwork was displayed in department common areas. To assess the response to the arts gallery, an anonymous REDCap survey was distributed to interested participants. Ancillary processes developed to support the arts gallery included creation of a formal submission procedure, mini-grants to decrease cost as a barrier, and an arts committee to review submissions comprised of faculty, staff, and residents.

Among 59 participants in the survey, the majority were either faculty radiologists or staff, with residents making up a minority. Levels of artistic ability were variable with the majority having none (36%) or at the level of novice/dabbler (42%). Despite this, the impact of the art gallery was positive including beneficial effects on interpersonal interactions, wellness, happiness, stress reduction, creativity, a broader range of expression and/or viewpoints in the workplace, diversity and inclusion, and synergy with other initiatives. Submissions of art were associated with significantly higher perceived benefits of art gallery on happiness, stress reduction, interpersonal interactions, and wellness (p<0.05).

The benefits of a sustainable radiology department art gallery may be substantial, and most participants noted positive effects that were further increased by participation through art submissions. Ultimately, sustainable arts initiatives with objective measurement mechanisms may support humanistic factors in radiology.