Large-Scale Abstract Expressionist Painting Installed at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
Ilya Bolotowsky’s 6-foot-by-21-foot painting Untitled (1973) will return to view after years in storage thanks to a donation by Bloomberg Philanthropies Bolotowsky was an early practitioner of integrating the arts into healthcare settings
Mar 11, 2025
New York, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that abstract expressionist painter Ilya Bolotowsky’s 6-foot-by-21-foot painting Untitled (1973) has been permanently installed in the lobby of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln after years in storage. Initially created by the artist for NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, the work returns to the public thanks to a $70,000 donation by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Twenty smaller works by the artist will also be framed and installed throughout NYC Health + Hospitals facilities. Nearly 900 works of art in NYC Health + Hospitals’ collection are available to view worldwide on the free Bloomberg Connects app, and these works now have informational wall text and a QR code leading to additional material on the app.
“Ilya Bolotowsky’s contribution to the abstract art movement in the 20th century was considerable and we are fortunate at NYC Health + Hospitals to have 25 of his works including this large-scale mural,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Assistant Vice President of Arts in Medicine Larissa Trinder. “Research has taught us that abstract art in hospital settings deepens empathy and encourages multiple perspectives. We hope this mural will support the patients, families and staff at Lincoln Hospital for years to come. The Arts in Medicine department is grateful to Bloomberg Philanthropies for their generous support of this project.”
“This project is very exciting for us at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln,” said Cristina Contreras, LMSW, MPA, FABC, Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. “Adding artwork to spaces throughout the hospital is a great way to help us beautify our campus. We are excited to unveil this beautiful new Bolotowksy mural which will inspire our patients and staff, and grateful to Bloomberg Philanthropies for their generous support which made this project possible.”
“My father loved painting, he would dance around, running from one painting to another – there was never a place to sit in his studio because he loved working,” said Andrew Bolotowsky, the artist’s son. “I am delighted this mural has been restored for the public, as I know it would have meant so much to him.”
Artist Ilya Bolotowksy (1907-1981) developed his abstract artistic practice after immigrating to New York from St. Petersburg, Russia. An early practitioner of integrating the arts into healthcare settings, Bolotowsky was commissioned by the Work Progress Administration in 1941 to paint a mural for a hospital on Roosevelt Island. Today, NYC Health + Hospitals has over 20 works by the artist in its collection.
Bolotowsky’s visual language and simple color motifs demonstrate the healing benefits of abstract artworks. According to leading art and health expert Judy Rollins, “Abstract art enables our brain to flow within its inner states that are otherwise harder to access.” Studies support this idea, noting that because abstract art is non-representational—unlike landscapes or figurative works—it encourages the creation of new emotional and cognitive associations, which can significantly benefit wellbeing. The Arts in Medicine department curates abstract art from the art collection to create calming atmospheres for patients, families, and staff.
The NYC Health + Hospitals art collection dates back to the 1930s, when the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project hired artists to create works for government buildings. Its collection of more than 7,500 artworks includes paintings, mosaics, photographs, sculptures, installation art, and murals by both emerging and established professional artists. The collection includes works by some of America’s leading artists, such as Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Helen Frankenthaler, Mary Frank, Betty Blayton, Candida Alvarez, Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, and Keith Haring. More than an art collection, these works contribute to healing environments, activate spaces, engage staff, promote visual acuity, and expand access to the arts for 43,000 employees and more than 1.2 million patients who receive care NYC Health + Hospitals facilities.
In addition to managing the health system’s art collection, the Arts in Medicine department presents a diverse array of arts programming, including: live concerts at healthcare facilities through the Music for the Soul Concert series; art observation and discussion for staff through HHArt of Medicine; songwriting with professional musicians for parents through the Lullaby Project; and an active Artists in Residence program. A full overview of the Arts in Medicine department is available here.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, located in the South Bronx, is a 362-bed, Acute Care Level 1 Trauma Center and sees more than 168,000 emergency room visits and more than 600,000 outpatient visits annually. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Breast Imaging; Designated Stroke Center, Diabetes Center and HIV/AIDS Center. Lincoln Hospital was the first Baby-Friendly designated hospital in the Bronx, providing clinical services and consultations for over 1,500 deliveries per year. The hospital emphasizes primary care and specialty medicine, using the latest advances in medical science. Lincoln is part of NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health care system in the nation. For more information visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/lincoln and stay connected on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LincolnHosp.
About NYC Health + Hospitals’ Arts in Medicine Department
The Arts in Medicine department at NYC Health + Hospitals seeks to foster the emotional well-being and promote healing and wellness for all patients and their families, employees, and the greater community by utilizing the arts, including literary, visual, and performing arts throughout the health care system. In addition to managing the system’s significant visual arts collection, the Arts in Medicine department encourages evidenced based practices and provides technical assistance to all of the system’s health care facilities and clinics. This is accomplished by combining artistic innovation and education into a comprehensive health care continuum that supports the healing benefits of the arts. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/artsinmedicine/.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
