For many, walking into a cold, clinical hospital space can be an alienating experience.

At the North Island Hospital in Courtenay, British Columbia, that’s not the case—thanks to a series of art installations evoking powerful images from local nature that provide comfort to patients, workers and visitors alike.

It all began when the Comox Valley Art Gallery started curating artwork for the newly constructed hospital in close cooperation with hospital employees, individuals from the local K’ómoks First Nation and a nearby elementary school in 2017.

A range of pieces soon emerged, honouring the Indigenous medicinal plants and cultural healing practices in a region of British Columbia that includes mountains, farmlands and beaches.

Peppered throughout the hospital—from the main welcome hall and the chemotherapy centre to various waiting areas and the psychiatry ward—the artwork today creates a sense of care, contemplation and gratitude for nature’s role in supporting the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of all who enter.

It is all part of a series of projects led by the Gallery to expand its mandate and, after 50 years in the Valley, deepen its level of engagement by getting art out into the local community.

https://canadacouncil.ca/spotlight/2025/01/where-we-all-live