How murals and public art can play a role in public health

When Shirley-Anne Gardiner broke three bones in her back, she was all too aware of the physical journey ahead of her.

She had spent two decades working in public health, including years as the executive director of the Toowoomba hospital, and health care was her life.

So it came as a surprise when one of the key parts of her recovery arrived in an unexpected place — the murals splashed across the CBD laneways of her home town of Toowoomba.

The remnants of a near-decade-old street art festival, Ms Gardiner said the artworks on walls in lanes and car parks were therapeutic during her recovery.

On one of her regular art walks, she met a couple taking photos at a mural and wondered if her personal experience might actually be felt universally.

“They said their daughter had been taken into an acute mental health unit and they were going to see public art [and] take photos to send it back to her,” she said.

“That’s the great thing about art; it impacts everyone.

“For some people, it will be life-changing.”

Over time, Ms Gardiner found herself asking bigger questions about the impact of public art, so much so that it has now become the topic of her PhD research.

“There’s a thing called psychosocial wellbeing. That’s your physical, social, spiritual and emotional wellbeing,” she explained.

“Does it make you walk more? And if it’s good for physical health, is it good for you mentally? But also socially. Do you talk more when you’re looking at it?”

The Toowoomba laneways are now her research lab.

She chose the garden city because it is not a major city, but also not a small town.

“And it’s got a high level of … socio-economic deprivation,” she said.

“The thing that comes with people having low socio-economic status is often these are the people that experience food crisis, housing crisis, and a lot of stresses in their life.”

Public art has become mainstream, with festivals and published driving routes attracting tourists eager to see painted silos throughout regional areas.

And there is a growing appreciation and acknowledgement of public art, Ms Gardiner said.

“When I look back at the data 10 years ago, there weren’t that many articles written about the benefits of public art. Now there’s a lot.

During a cost-of-living crisis, a free visit to a laneway is also friendly on the hip pocket.

“There’s no opening or closing hours, you can go and visit the art 24 hours a day, and if you’re having a bad day, you could go in the middle of the night.”

Like a walk in nature

While Ms Gardiner is in the early stages of her research, visual artist Katie Whyte has collected findings of her own, usually gathered while she is perched on scaffolding, paintbrush in hand.

“The best piece of feedback I’ve ever heard was from a primary school student, whose mum messaged me after watching me paint for weeks,” Whyte said.

“I was just about to complete a very large mural on their commute to school.

Then, a recent conversation with a commuter who had walked past her for a week while she painted reiterated the impact of public creativity.

“He stopped me to tell me that it had made a significant difference [to] how he feels walking to work every day,” Whyte said.

“I think that’s similar to how we walk in nature — it’s really about being present and where we are.”

Whyte said she made a conscious effort to paint in public after the art form had “such a significant impact” on her life.

“I did not grow up with a lot of art around me, knowing any artists or going to galleries … and so I see my murals as a gateway into the art world,” she said.

“I think for most people it’s unexpected, so it catches them in their everyday space, walking the dog, walking to work or driving to work.

“If it can make a very small impact on their mood and their outlook for the day, then I’ve done my job.”