Guidelines for Selecting Art for Summa Health

At Summa Health, we believe that art plays a crucial role in enhancing the healing environment for our patients, staff, and visitors.  The following guidelines help us determine which works of art are suitable for display within our facilities, aligning with our Healing Arts Vision: To create a healthcare environment that surrounds and connects patients, staff, and visitors with the heling powers of the arts.

The Healing Arts Program staff will make the final determination on all questions of suitability for the healing arts environment. 

Generally Appropriate Art:

• Regional Connection: Works created by artists with a connection to Ohio - especially Northeast Ohio - through birth, education, or residence. 
• Healing Arts Vision: Art that aligns with Summa Health's vision, contributing to a healthcare environment that promotes wellness and healing.
• Engagement: Art that engages viewers through subject matter, complexity, color, composition, form, technical achievement, scale, and/or perspective. 
• Mood Creation: Works that promote contemplation, rest, and exploration, encouraging a peaceful and reflective environment.
• Safety and Durability: Art that can be safely displayed and maintained in a hospital setting, considering both the physical and emotional environment of healthcare spaces. 

Generally Inappropriate Art:

• Harsh or Jarring Colors: Art with overly harsh or aggressive color combinations, particularly red tones that suggest blood or violence.
• Unresolved Conflict: Art that includes clashing or jagged elements that evoke a sense of conflict of discomfort.
• Threatening Size or Scale: Works that are physically imposing or intimidating due to their size, material, or other characteristics. 
• Violent or Disturbing Content: Art that depicts violent, morbid, or distressing subject matter. This includes works that may insult or degrade specific groups or communities, or cause emotional discomfort to patients, staff, or visitors (e.g., works with nudity, political or religious themes). 

Submit Your Art:

If you have a work of art you would like to contribute to Summa Health, please visit our art donation page for more information. We welcome your support in enhancing our healing environment through the arts. 

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