THE SYDNEY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION ART PROGRAM

Art Celebrating Life

The Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation Art Program uses the visual arts in all its forms to improve the lives of the Hospital's brave young patients, to inspire and engage their families and carers, and to develop the Sydney's Children's Hospital Artspace into a dynamic cultural hub for the Hospital and the wider community.

The Art Program aims:

• To help children and families feel welcome and provide a caring, healing, warm and reassuring environment
• To make the Hospital a vibrant, reassuring place of healing and culture
• To support the healthcare services provided by the Hospital
• To celebrate children and the diversity of the community, giving an identity to Sydney Children's Hospital
• To provide a forum where emerging and leading artists can engage with new audiences

The Art Program achieves our aims by:

• Managing and developing a permanent collection of high artistic quality and collecting children's art
• Working with the Hospital's Play Therapy Department and School to integrate the visual arts into the rehabilitative, therapeutic and educational activities of the Sydney Children's Hospital
• Working with key partners to produce dynamic rotating art exhibitions in the Hospital's two Artspaces and to develop other collaborative activities
• Making the activities of the Art Program relevant and accessible to children, adolescents, their families and staff.

Click here to download the Arts Program Overview PDF

What's on in the SCH Artspace?

The SCH Artspaces have over 50,000 visitors per year, and creates opportunities for artists to expose their work to new audiences. Situated on Levels 0 and 1 of the Hospital, the Artspaces host a dynamic schedule of changing exhibitions by leading artists, many of whom create work specifically for the Hospital environment.

To see what exhibitions are currently on in SCH Artspace 0 and Artspace 1, please click here.

To see what's coming up for the Art Program for the rest of 2008, please click here.

If you are interested in exhibiting in the SCH Artspaces, please contact the SCF Foundation Arts Curator on (02) 9382 1888 or send an email.

Supporting the Art Program

The Art Program is managed through donations and support by the wider public, artists, dealers and key partners. There are three important ways in which you can help us deliver an exciting and successful Program for the Hospital; by donating funds, donating quality artworks, or by becoming an Art Program volunteer.

Making a Donation

Donations to the Art Program help us to undertake a wide range of activities such as caring for the collection, mounting displays, inviting artists to run workshops with patients and their families, and developing new projects and programs to benefit the Hospital, and the wider community. If you are interested in making a donation, please contact the Arts Curator on (02) 9382 1188.

Donating an Artwork

The ongoing development of the permanent art collection is due to generous donations by artists, dealers and the general public. Artworks acquired by the Art Program are displayed in the wards, public spaces and offices in the Hospital, and help to make the Hospital into a healing, reassuring and vibrant environment.

All acquisitions are guided by the SCHF Arts Program Collection Policy (July 2008). Please click here to download The SCHF Art Program Collection Policy.

Please click here to download our Expression of interest - Donating an Artwork PDF.

The Art Program is also a participating member of the Commonwealth Government's Cultural Gifts Program which provides tax deductions for donations of significant artworks. Please click here to read more at the Australian Tax Office Website for more information, or contact the Arts Curator if you are considering donating an artwork through this Program.

Becoming a Volunteer

The Art Program also manages a small and dedicated team of volunteers, who assist with a range of projects including hanging exhibitions, looking after the collection and doing research on the artists and artworks held in the collection. If you would like to spend some regular time as an Art Program volunteer, please contact the Arts Curator for more information.