Patients & Families Creative Arts

The arts in its many forms — visual, music, prose, poetry, multimedia — provides opportunities for self-expression, connection, and exploration. In the hospital setting, engaging in arts activities has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, lessen the need for pain medication, and alleviate boredom.

• Art Gallery: The Art Program is pleased to feature a variety of artists in two changing exhibition spaces — The Art Corridor and The Mini-Museum. The Staff Art Show is also displayed on a rotating basis in frames throughout our campus.
• Art Specialists: Our team offers creative writing, video making, painting, cartooning, arts history, and visual arts activities. We travel to patients’ bedsides and to clinical settings.
• Laughter League: The Laughter League team is comprised of veteran variety artists with a wealth of performance backgrounds, including circus arts, theater, improvisation, magic, and music. All performers are trained in hospital protocol, including hygiene, confidentiality, sensitivity, and child development.
• Music Therapy: Music therapists are members of the treatment team on inpatient units, providing treatment and education through music-based interventions to support a patient during their hospital admission. Therapists work to improve each patient’s hospital stay and achieve optimal recovery while supporting the patient's psychosocial needs.
• Seacrest Studios: Seacrest Studios opened in November 2014 through a partnership with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. Programming from Seacrest Studios airs on channel 19, The Hub, the hospital’s closed-circuit TV system. Patients can make song requests, participate in games, or even be a guest host.

Kirsten Getchell is a clinical and program manager for Child Life Services at Boston Children’s. In her role, she oversees Child Life staff, music therapists, art specialists, Art Cart staff, and Seacrest Studios staff. Kirsten also works closely with the Laughter League clown program to ensure programming reaches patients and families in inpatient settings, clinics, and throughout the hospital.

Elisabeth Gordon is the art program manager at Boston Children’s. In her role, she oversees the many paintings, sculptures, and multimedia installations that brighten the lobbies, corridors, and patient rooms. She especially enjoys helping patients and visitors find fun and meaningful ways to interact with the artwork.

The Creative Arts Program is happy to offer volunteer opportunities. We have weekly volunteer positions with the art cart, art specialists, MyMusicRx Volunteer Music Program, and volunteer photography program. For more information about volunteer opportunities please visit Volunteer Services.

To schedule a visit with one of our Art Specialists, Music Therapists, or the Art Cart, please contact your child life specialist or email us at arts@childrens.harvard.edu.

To find out more about our visual arts program, or to inquire about donating a work of art, please email arts@childrens.harvard.edu.