Since its founding in 2000, RxART has long been one of the art world’s most beloved and worthy charities. The organization pairs major artists with children’s hospitals to help decorate spaces in ways that might give comfort desperate moments. With over forty projects completed by sixty artists in hospitals throughout fifteen cities in the United States, it’s estimated that RxART works have touched 1,000,000 patients and their families. This week it was announced that Katie Hollander will serve as its new director, and we caught up with her to hear more about her plans for this crucial nonprofit.
Many aspects of the healthcare industry feel vital to many Americans at this moment. Why is RxART’s mission still important in this context?
In a time when the physical and emotional toll of illness, stress, and anxiety can feel overwhelming, the role of the environment in promoting healing is becoming more recognized and understood. The connection between art and health isn’t just theoretical anymore—it’s supported by research showing that exposure to creative, engaging spaces can reduce stress, improve recovery times, and enhance one’s mental health as well.
RxART works with artists to transform sterile, intimidating spaces into places of comfort and optimism. By commissioning artists, RxART can make a profound difference in how patients—particularly children—experience healthcare settings. We’ve all spent numerous hours in hospital waiting rooms, in our scratchy, uncomfortable gowns staring at a dreary blank wall. Imagine that experience as a child, and now imagine being that same child and looking at a Nicolas Party’s parade of colorful trees dancing along the corridor. It’s transformative—both to the physical environment as well as your emotional well-being. For me, this makes RxART’s mission not only relevant but essential. RxART’s work reminds us that art is not a luxury—it’s a critical tool for human well-being. As we continue to navigate health crises, embracing a more holistic approach to healing, one that includes the arts, is an important step forward.
What are some recent projects staged by RxART that you feel best exemplify what the organization is about?
Over its twenty-five-year history, RxART has had the privilege of collaborating with leading hospitals and celebrated artists. Each project is unique and special in its own right, and we work closely with both the hospital and the artist to tailor each installation to address specific needs.
For example, in 2022, when Nina Chanel Abney installed her piece at the Pediatric Ambulatory Clinic at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, Queens, Abney worked with the hospital to create an interactive experience for children. The installation encouraged kids to identify shapes and colors within the vibrant, joyful characters lining the walls and windows of the clinic.
Another recent project involved a collaboration with Jonas Wood in 2020 when he designed unique privacy curtains for Children’s National Hospital in DC. Wood’s designs, filled with lively depictions of animals, sports balls, fruit, vases and flowers, provided a visually stimulating and imaginative environment. These curtains not only helped create a positive distraction but also contributed to uplifting the atmosphere for patients. We’re excited to be working with Jonas Wood again on an upcoming project at Mass General in Boston.
You come to RxART from the Jewish Museum. How did that job prepare you for your new role?
I think every stage of my career has helped prepare me for this unique role, from my early days as Executive Director at ArtTable, which introduced me to so many trailblazing women in the art world, including RxART founder Diane Brown, to my decade at Creative Time as deputy director and executive director working on high-profile public art projects such as Kara Walker’s A Subtlety at the Domino Sugar Factory to Duke Riley’s Fly By Night at the Brooklyn Navy Yard—which allowed me to work with artists and honed my ability to manage large-scale, impactful projects and to think about art in a public context, which is essential when considering how art can transform healthcare environments on a similar scale. At Annenberg Space for Photography, I worked with photographers and was able to develop a strong understanding of the educational component of exhibitions, which is crucial in RxART’s mission of not just placing art in hospitals but ensuring that art resonates meaningfully with diverse audiences, especially children and patients. My most recent role at the Jewish Museum deepened my fundraising expertise and relationship-building—key skills that are critical in sustaining an organization like RxART, where donor support and partnerships play a vital role in making our vision a reality.
What’s especially gratifying is how the outreach and congratulations from my diverse network have already helped open new doors for RxART. I feel very fortunate to be helping to lead RxART into this next chapter of its development, and to be helping to bring the transformative power of art to more healthcare spaces.
Upcoming RxART projects include some of art’s biggest names, among them Mickalene Thomas and Jonas Wood. Why do you think RxART is able to secure such high-profile artist collaborations?
You’ve touched on something really important here—RxART’s ability to attract high-profile artists like Mickalene Thomas and Jonas Wood is rooted in a combination of deep respect within the art world and the meaningful impact the organization offers. Diane Brown’s reputation and ability to cultivate relationships certainly play a huge part, as she’s widely respected and trusted in the art community. Her passion for the mission is infectious, and that’s also a critical factor in convincing top-tier artists to come on board.
Beyond that, though, the appeal for artists working with RxART lies in the opportunity to contribute to something larger than their usual gallery exhibitions or commercial work. Many of today’s leading artists want to be part of initiatives that have a social impact and engage with communities in a meaningful way. By working with RxART, artists can transform the sterile and intimidating environment of healthcare spaces into places of joy, healing, and beauty, which is a rare and unique opportunity. And I think the ability to bring positive change to children and families going through difficult times adds a layer of emotional fulfillment that resonates deeply with many artists.
Artists often seek projects that allow them to stretch their creative boundaries, and the public-facing nature of RxART’s hospital installations offers an exciting challenge. Additionally, the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on a community while also introducing their work to a broad and diverse audience is an appealing proposition. Artists like Mickalene Thomas and Jonas Wood have built their careers around making art that is both deeply personal and universally relatable, and working with RxART allows them to extend that ethos into spaces where it can provide comfort, healing, and inspiration.
CT scan machines seem to be a frequent canvas for RxART artists. Why are they prime targets for your efforts?
CT scan machines are such a unique focal point for RxART projects because they are both integral to healthcare and, unfortunately, often intimidating for patients—especially children. Transforming something so essential but potentially frightening into an engaging, colorful, and comforting piece of art is an incredibly powerful opportunity for artists. Takashi Murakami’s 2022 work on the CT/PET scan suite at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., is a perfect example of this. By covering the machine with his signature flowers and smiling faces, Murakami not only beautifies the space but also completely alters the emotional tone of the room. What was once a cold, clinical space becomes something more approachable, calming, and even fun!
CT and PET scan rooms, by their very nature, are areas of high anxiety. The machines themselves are large, imposing, and often associated with diagnostic procedures that can be stressful, particularly for children who may already be feeling vulnerable. With an estimated 5-9 million CT scans performed on children in the U.S. annually, many of them in pediatric hospitals, the emotional toll of these experiences is significant. RxART has recognized this challenge and, through its partnerships with hospitals and artists, has been able to create environments that reduce fear and promote a sense of comfort and security.
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The appeal for artists lies in the unique challenge and opportunity these spaces present. The machines themselves are a blank canvas in many ways—large, sculptural, and full of potential for transformation. Artists can use their creativity to not just adorn the walls but wrap the machine itself, transforming it into a piece of interactive art. This allows the experience to become immersive, turning a sterile clinical space into an engaging environment where children can feel safe, entertained, and distracted.
For artists, these projects are compelling because of their scale, impact, and emotional resonance. It’s one thing to create art for a gallery, but creating art that will directly affect a child’s experience in a hospital setting—and help them feel more at ease during a potentially stressful procedure—is a deeply rewarding endeavor. By turning something intimidating into something whimsical and inviting, artists can make a tangible difference in the patient experience.
One thing I’ve always liked about RxART is that it allows famous artists to work a little less intellectual, a little more loose and friendly. Are there any very serious artists you’d like to partner with for RxART someday?
I completely agree with you that RxART offers artists the opportunity to engage in a less “intellectual” and more fun, approachable form of creativity. It’s one of the aspects that makes RxART’s projects so impactful—allowing artists to experiment in ways that feel more playful and open, and connect to the audience in a direct way.
Artists like Pedro Reyes, with his ability to blend social commentary with interactive, immersive experiences, would certainly bring a unique perspective to transforming hospital spaces. I worked with him while at Creative Time on Doomacracy in 2016 and would love the opportunity to work with Reyes again. I can see how his mix of humor and social engagement, along with his more geometrical sculptural and print pieces that weave between figuration and abstraction, could translate well into a hospital setting, creating something that’s both engaging and thought-provoking without losing the lightness needed to make children feel at ease.
I think Ellen Gallagher could also be interesting. Her work, which often blends abstraction, figuration, and a deep engagement with identity and history, could introduce powerful visual narratives to hospital walls, offering both beauty and depth in a way that remains accessible and comforting. Maya Lin, with her masterful ability to create spaces that speak to memory, reflection, and the natural world, would undoubtedly be a transformative presence in a hospital setting—her sensitivity to form and space could help create calming, healing environments that connect to a deeper emotional experience. I’d also love to work with Trenton Doyle Hancock again, who did a terrific piece for RxART at the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.
There is certainly no shortage of visionary artists who would bring something special to RxART. It’s exciting to think about how each of these artists could reimagine the hospital environment, humanizing it and improving the patient experience, which is central to our mission.
In partnering with leading contemporary artists, RxART doesn’t patronize children. Why do you think most art for children is so dreadful?
Like most things designed for children, art made for them often caters to the masses. It’s like children’s menus—geared to be palatable and comforting but not necessarily of high quality or substance.
What does it mean to you to be joining RxART in its twenty-fifth year? Is there anything in store for the year ahead that you’re particularly excited about?
I’m excited to be joining RxART in its 25th year, especially as we celebrate our anniversary on February 5th at The POOL. It’s a perfect moment to honor our visionary founder, Diane Brown, as well as Drs. Bobbi and Barry Coller, without whom RxART wouldn’t exist to celebrate this milestone, as well as our 25th Anniversary publication, which will be coming out this fall.
I’m also looking forward to some incredible upcoming projects, including Mickalene Thomas’ installation at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health later this year, Jonas Wood’s work at Mass General in Boston and Alexis Rockman’s project at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, one of the leading institutions for children’s mental health in the country.
But what excites me the most is the opportunity to work alongside Diane to help envision the future of RxART and to once again collaborate with artists, but this time with the added bonus of improving hospital environments and bringing joy and comfort to children and families going through difficult times.
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