The Story Behind UBC and VGH’s Impressive Art Collections

With more than 1600 works showcased in corridors, private units and courtyards at UBC and VGH, Vancouver’s hospitals are home to some of the city’s most prominent works. Here, Katherine Knowles, who manages the collections, shares the history behind them, plus her views on the healing power of art. — Laura Busby

How did the art collection at Vancouver General Hospital begin?

It was founded in 1998 by VGH Art Advisory Committee Chairperson, Roberta Beiser and Jim O’Hara, Vice-President of Leadership Giving at the VGH + UBC Hospital Foundation. The founders were inspired by an art collection at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. Since its humble beginnings with only a few works, the program has become one of the most extensive and diverse hospital art collections in Canada and has encouraged other local medical institutions to refine and grow their own collections.

How would you describe the art collection at VGH?

There is a certain grace to art in a healthcare setting. It’s the same fine art you’ll view in galleries, but this is art on the front lines. The pieces calm our worried thoughts or encourage us to pay attention to a new idea. While we curate the collection with great sensitivity to the staff and patient populations on each floor, we also don’t shy away from displaying challenging works like abstraction or conceptual photography; we recognize that the arts community in Vancouver is unique and has a rich history of artists exploring abstraction and the medium of photography. We want to represent our local art story as well as displaying a dynamic and unexpected range of works by international artists.

How are the works acquired?

Everything is donated through the generosity of passionate artists, local collectors, philanthropists and galleries who are the lifeblood of the Art Collection at VGH and UBC hospitals. We have a curatorial approach to the collection and the donations are vetted by our Art Advisory Committee through a rigorous and selective donation process.

If you would like to make a financial donation to assist with maintaining and growing art collections in BC Hospitals please contact the Development or Foundation Departments for the hospital you wish to support. If you would like to learn more about the VGH + UBC Hospital Foundation Art Collection or make a financial contribution to the project visit vghfoundation.ca/donate/artprogram/

View part two of the Q&A with Knowles, here.