NYC Health + Hospitals Unveils New Community Mural at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania
The Community Mural Project is believed to be the country’s largest public hospital mural program since the 1930s The nine new murals will build on the 26 murals created in the first wave of the project
Dec 13, 2023
NYC Health + Hospitals today unveiled a new mural as part of the Community Mural Project run by the health system’s Arts in Medicine department. Today’s mural, Each and Every Day: Simple but Full of Love at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania was developed by artist Yukiko Izumi through a series of focus groups with community members, staff and patients and brought to life at a paint party where the community was invited to paint the mural together. Each and Every Day: Simple but Full of Love is one of nine new murals that have been created this year, building on the 26 murals created in the first wave of the Community Mural Project, which are featured in a new book, Healing Walls: New York City Health + Hospitals Community Mural Project 2019-2021. This program is made possible through the generous support of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.
Each and Every Day: Simple but Full of Love celebrates the mission of Morrisania, the staff’s commitment to the community, and their pride in being part of the Bronx. The artist included symbols throughout the mural, including flowers, butterflies, hearts, and the sun, all celebrating life. On the right side of the mural, community members engage in their daily routines. These seemingly ordinary moments reveal the beauty and strength of daily existence. Progressing leftward, the mural transitions into a portrayal of the inner workings of the facility, including a doctor with an x-ray, a dentist with a child, a pregnant woman, and families. These scenes emphasize the dedication and compassion of the hospital staff in their daily duties and the extraordinary aspects within the routine. The mural also highlights the distinctive roles played by each department within the facility, while incorporating elements that authentically capture the essence of the Bronx.
“Located in the heart of the Bronx, NYC Health + Hospitals/Morrisania is an anchor in the community, providing essential healthcare services to all who need them regardless of their circumstances,” said Rick Luftglass, executive director of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. “Yukiko Izumi’s mural celebrates life and the compassion and care offered by staff to every patient and visitor at Morrisania. It is a powerful example of how NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine program uses the arts to benefit all. Each and Every Day: Simple but Full of Love will bring joy and comfort to everyone who sees it. We are proud to have supported its creation.”
“Murals contribute important immersive experiences in hospitals that directly impact public health,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Assistant Vice President of Arts in Medicine Larissa Trinder. “The large scale piece our artist Yukiko developed with the Morrisania neighborhood will transform and engage their staff, patients and families in a positive way. It will bring joy, awe and delight to everyday lives and routines.”
“I am delighted to acknowledge the unveiling of a new mural at Morrisania, titled Each and Every Day: Simple but Full of Love by artist Yukiko Izumi,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/ Gotham Health CEO Michelle Lewis. “This work represents the powerful healing potential of art, known to enhance patient outcomes. Its presence reflects our deep commitment to the community and our strong ties to the Bronx.”
“Each and Every Day: Simple but Full of Love depicts the happy moments of everyday life at Morrisania and its surrounding area,” said artist Yukiko Izumi. “It was created based on various opinions and advice from Morrisania’s staff and patients, as well as the scenery seen by actually walking around the surrounding area. In addition, my own experience as an immigrant is also reflected in the work. Immigrants often visit the doctor with more anxiety due to language barriers, in addition to illness, pain, and worries. The work aims to not only beautify the community but also alleviate this, expressing that Morrisania welcomes any patient and is supported by a diverse staff. I am grateful for the incredible support from NYC Health + Hospitals and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. I thank everyone who contributed to this project, and I hope that the mural will have a positive impact on Morrisania and the local community and enrich people’s lives.”
Yukiko Izumi (@yi_design_jp) is a Japanese muralist and graphic designer based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Her art includes elements of her home country’s culture and design. Her art aims to counteract anxiety and loneliness by creating spaces that are bright and welcoming.
The Community Mural Project is believed to be the country’s largest public hospital mural program since the 1930s, when the depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) commissioned murals in public buildings, including virtually every hospital in New York City’s public healthcare system. The WPA murals were the start of NYC Health + Hospitals art collection, which now is the city’s largest public art collection and includes more than 7,000 pieces of art of multiple disciplines. The art collection is used to enhance the healthcare environment, inspire creativity, promote wellness, increase access to the arts, and engage staff.
The Community Mural Project creates opportunities for hospital staff to collaborate with each other and with neighbors, relieve stress, and enhance the physical environment of the facilities. Healthcare worker burnout is a national health crisis, and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has created mental health challenges across New York City, especially in low-income, immigrant and historically excluded communities, which are significant patient populations for NYC Health + Hospitals.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health is a Federally Qualified Healthcare Provider formed in 2012 to enable individuals and families to address their health care needs in their own neighborhoods. Serving more than 100,000 New Yorkers annually in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Queens, Gotham Health consists of 38 healthcare sites in all five boroughs of New York City. Gotham Health provides easy-to-access, high-quality, affordable health care services with a focus on primary care. It is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and building healthy communities, with a focus upon providing patients and families convenient access to high-quality preventive care, such as annual check-ups and immunizations. Health care teams are trained to help patients manage ongoing conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.
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 https://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.
About the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is a New York City-based foundation that aims to improve access and opportunity for all New Yorkers and foster healthy and vibrant communities. In 2018, the Illumination Fund launched Arts in Health, a multi-year initiative to support organizations utilizing the arts as a tool for healing and building understanding in communities across New York City. The initiative’s areas of focus are stigma, trauma and aging-related diseases as well as supporting organizations addressing mental health in communities disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019 the Illumination Fund supported the creation of NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine department, expanding programs serving health care staff, patients, and communities in sites across the City. For more information, visit www.lmtif.org or follow @LMTischFund on Twitter.