About our arts program
The Arts in Health Program will play an important role in the Nepean Hospital Redevelopment. The integration of arts into the design and delivery of health services will benefit patients, visitors and staff and includes all art forms including heritage, literature, visual, performing and dramatic arts.
The strategy proposes a broad mix of permanent contemporary artworks and dedicated cultural spaces. These strategies are designed to soothe, relax and promote a welcoming environment for hospital staff, patients and their families.
This has informed the arts and culture strategy for the Nepean Hospital Redevelopment for Stages 1 and 2.
Professor Marie Bashir, former Governor of NSW
"As a medical specialist… I was constantly confronted with the impact of the physical, emotional and cultural environment on the health both physical and mental of the individual. The provision of music and art within a beautiful physical environment had a powerful effect on reaching and healing many children, young people and their families."
Stage 1 – Building A
In Stage 1 - Building A of the redevelopment of Nepean Hospital, artists were commissioned to create artworks that reflected the natural and cultural aspects of the area. The artworks included:
- Shine sculpture: large installation piece by artist Jade Oakley.
- Internal wall artworks: large wall art features at staff stations, walls, and corridors by artist Nicola Moss.
- Community art collages:hospital staff and the local community were invited to create collages with artist Nicole Law for artwork pieces across the hospital and consultation rooms.
- Dharug Language Signage Project:Hospital wayfinding signs featuring Dharug language and artwork with English explanations have been installed at the entry points of key services and units in Building A.
Shine, created by artist Jade Oakley, is a large-scale sculpture consisting of hundreds of brightly coloured stainless-steel cables that suspend across the internal courtyard of the new Nepean Hospital. The artwork is visible from all floors of the building.
Inspired by shafts of light, Shine represents the sunbeams you can see across the Blue Mountains area. The installation is intended to give viewers feelings of happiness, peace and wellbeing.
The artwork is intended to bring the beauty of the Blue Mountains into the experience of the hospital, providing moments of connection to nature, delight and playfulness.
Shine was selected by staff, managers and Western Sydney cultural advisers to fill the courtyard within Nepean Hospital’s new Building A.
"Shine embodies the healing power of light, as can be experienced in a deep Blue Mountains rainforest canyon. It symbolises the giving of life, knowledge and hope. The purpose of art in a hospital is escapism and to give people a sense of peace, joy and wonder. I love to make artwork that makes people feel good and that’s uplifting and joyful."
Words from the artist - Jade Oakley
Artist Nicola Moss was selected by the Nepean Redevelopment Arts Working Group to develop an artwork concept to feature on the walls and corridors in Nepean Hospital’s new Building A.
The artwork, which depicts the unique colours and shapes of the local landscape, features throughout the walls of the new hospital tower.
Nicola was inspired by species and landforms characteristic of the Blue Mountains region to create a series of motifs, silhouettes and broad forms which have been layered to create a welcoming environment in the artwork.
Elements of water, land and sky are depicted from multiple viewpoints, representing the natural environment of the area such as rivers, waterfalls and cliff forms.
The Nepean Redevelopment Arts Working Group consists of Nepean Hospital staff representatives, executive team and the local arts community.
Art collages created by the local community and Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District staff have been integrated into the consultation rooms in Building A.
The artworks were created through workshops facilitated by designer and visual artist Nicole Law, providing a creative and fun way for staff and the community to contribute to the new hospital.
Nicole guided participants in print making and collage work to create engaging framed artwork pieces for the hospital walls, catering to all abilities and experience.
In November 2020, the Dharug language wayfinding signage for Stage 1 was successfully launched during NAIDOC week celebrations at Nepean Hospital.
Feedback about the signage has been extremely positive, helping to:
- reduce the fear and anxiety associated with hospitals
- encourage earlier health interventions for Aboriginal people
- being a culturally appropriate and creative way to acknowledge the region’s traditional owners.
The hospital wayfinding signs feature Dharug language and artwork with English explanations. These wayfinding signs have been installed at the entry points of key services and units in Building A.
These artworks help make the new hospital more culturally inclusive and welcoming to Aboriginal patients and families. The translations are designed to help non-Dharug people learn more about the language.
Dharug artist Leanne Watson created the artwork named Daruga Healing, which was chosen to be incorporated into the designs of the wayfinding signs. This made them uniquely representative of Dharug culture for Nepean Hospital, Aboriginal staff, patients and visitors.
Nepean Redevelopment's Arts and Culture Working Group includes representation from the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Aboriginal health staff, Dharug language educators, and community members.
The group is currently considering translations and meanings for Stage 2 the Nepean Redevelopment in consultation with community members.
Daruga Healing
After a community Expression of Interest process, the artwork Daruga Healing by Dharug artist, Leanne Watson was chosen to be added into the design of the signs to uniquely represent Nepean Hospital for Aboriginal staff, patients and visitors.
Installation of Shine scuplture inside Nepean Hospital Building A courtyard
Workman install the Shine artwork by artist Jade Oakley at Nepean Hospital Building A courtyard.
Stage 2 – Artists announced
Following the successful Stage 1 arts program, we are pleased to announce that five artists have been commissioned for Stage 2, which will include a new clinical building and front of house for the Nepean Hospital campus.
The artists were chosen by the Nepean Redevelopment's Arts and Culture Working Group, which is made up of Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District staff, representatives from Health Infrastructure, Penrith City Gallery, the Aboriginal Health Unit, the Multicultural Health Unit and Western Sydney University.
Congratulations to artists Louise Zhang, Nicola Moss, Jamie Eastwood, and Vipoo Srivilasa who will be creating artworks for the new Stage 2 building.
We look forward to sharing more details with you as their works progress.
Led by renowned artist, Vipoo Srivilasa, ‘Power Healer Superhero Project’ brings community together over four drawing workshops to explore the healing power of stories, experiences and imagination.
The workshops were held in September 2024 and the top 10 drawings will be collated by Vipoo into a singular design to create a dynamic, amphitheatre-like community gathering space in the arrival staircase leading to the main entrance of the new hospital building.
The artwork will be made from ceramic tiles, in the signature style of this celebrated Thai / Australian artist.
"Art has a special healing power. Using this idea as a starting point, I would love to see how the community is inspired to create superheroes we can incorporate into the hospital redevelopment. I would like participants to consider their superheroes unique abilities. It might be the ability to lift the spirits of any patient or heal injuries with one touch."
Words from artist Vipoo Srivilasa
The artwork will form part of new Stage 2 Tower which is currently under construction.