Picture This: Reflections Of Hospital Curator

I never imagined that art curation and hospitals could be such a dynamic pair. The idea of intentionally organizing the placement of artwork around such a facility was so foreign to me that I almost missed having one of the most enlightening roles of my career. I eventually realized how wrong I was and how right this job is for me, but I did not come to this conclusion easily. After a friend nudged me multiple times to apply for this position at UConn Health, it was not long before a mutual friend urged me to read the description again thoroughly, then apply. This was in fact a job for me. My experience up to that point in my career had all but placed a billboard in front of me with a giant red arrow pointing in this direction.

After a few friendly nudges and divine signs, I went for it. On the day of the interview, I hit a massive traffic jam caused by a statewide police procession. I called ahead from the highway, mortified, but they could see it happening outside the window. The moment felt doomed, but it led to one of the most meaningful jobs of my life. Arriving 15 minutes late, prepared with a lengthy CV, anecdotes about my art career and a decade of curatorial experience, I entered the lobby where I met my future manager. She led me to a conference room where two others patiently awaited my grand entrance. Although I arrived flustered and felt like I somehow blew this opportunity by coming in so late, the interview went well. They invited me back a couple of weeks later and presented an offer.

Becoming the art curator at UConn Health has broadened my perspective of art placement and its function in the healing environment. People may not even notice art as they walk past it in our public spaces every day. Yet, how do you think patients, staff, or visitors might feel without it there? How drab and boring would it be if there was nothing to break up the empty space in our corridors? A part of healing from any ailment is mental. The atmosphere in which you endure or help someone through that process is important. Art must engage, inspire, invoke, and uplift. Art has the power to change the environment in which we place it. We decorate our homes because it makes us feel something. The same can be said about our workspace. Art is a subtle, but important part of feeling better. I have made it my personal mission to ensure people notice the art at UConn Health, but more importantly, they connect with it. Being an art curator in a hospital means wearing a few hats: interior decorator, creative consultant, and sometimes you become somewhat of a community organizer.

The Connecticut Collection (as it was named by its founder, Celeste LeWitt) is a gem hidden in plain sight. A full spectrum of visual art can be found throughout all UConn Health locations. It started with museum-level artwork thanks to Celeste's appeal to some of the most notable artists in the state. Through her own network and that of her cousin, world renowned conceptual artist and Hartford native Sol LeWitt, the collection quickly developed into something truly special. Since 1979, The Connecticut Collection has grown to over 2,500 works of art, including items from a wall tapestry by Frank Stella, original prints by Anni Albers, an array of sculptures by Wolfgang Behl, and a drawing by Sol LeWitt. Throughout the year, we receive donations from artists of all backgrounds- professionals and hobbyists alike- with styles ranging from landscapes to portraits, folk art, and photography. Donors also include art collectors, current and former employees, patients, and their families. What makes the Connecticut Collection so unique is we have a little bit of everybody and a little bit of everything visual arts. In 2024, an artist from Oakland, California, donated a beautiful terra cotta sculpture- a testament to the breadth of our reach as a health institution and an alignment between Celeste LeWitt's vision and the community at large.

This role includes processing art donations, leading an art committee, curating exhibits, and bringing awareness to the art collection. I help select art for offices, conference rooms, waiting rooms, and some patient treatment areas. In addition to the Connecticut Collection, we have two galleries. Celeste LeWitt Gallery is on the north side of our main dining facility. It was established by our previous curator, Linda Webber, in honor of the late Celeste LeWitt. During her 22-year tenure as art curator, Linda started as a volunteer, advocating for this to become a paid position, and nearly doubled the size of the collection. This position would not exist without her efforts. I start every art tour at an original painting by Linda to pay homage to her legacy by acknowledging the big shoes I had to fill upon my arrival at UConn Health. Even in her retirement, Linda's passion for art at UConn Health is still felt. She often attends our receptions. Our newly established Connector Gallery is in the main floor corridor connecting our main building to John Dempsey Hospital.

Celeste LeWitt Gallery is dedicated to exhibiting artists from across the state of Connecticut and parts of New England. We host four exhibits per year featuring two artists at a time. This recently included a debut for Maggie Prado from our carpentry and paint team and Martha G. Trask, who works for our library. The Connector Gallery started with an exhibit for Art Connection Studio (ACS), a program of Vinfen, an organization that provides support for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. This experience inspired me to connect UConn Health with organizations and people that use art as a tool for healing and cultivate opportunities for collaboration. Later that year, this mission expanded to include ongoing employee art shows in between these collaborative exhibits.

I met the ACS team in 2023 at one of their receptions. They partner with local artists to teach participants how to make several types of art and schedule shows for them throughout the state. I was so inspired by their art that I offered an opportunity to exhibit at UConn Health. By spring 2024, with full support from our executive leadership team, we displayed a temporary installation of their 15-foot collaborative mural which says the words "THIS ABILITY" along with paintings from three of their artists. We also called attention to our Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service. As a result of this first collaboration, our Office of Diversity and Inclusion led a campaign to recruit members of the UConn Health community to volunteer at ACS.

We have hosted four employee exhibits in the Connector Gallery so far. This includes a solo exhibition for Irina Bezsonova, associate professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics. I am proud to say that we get at least three submissions from someone new with each call for employee artwork. We have displayed art by employees from across the entire organization. It serves as proof that there are many talented people who work at UConn Health. I am especially proud that employee artwork has had a presence in our collection from the beginning. The Connector Gallery is only one year in its journey, and the impact of these exhibits is felt by all.

I led an effort to source artwork for the New England Sickle Cell Institute and Connecticut Blood Disorder Center, an opportunity for which I am profoundly grateful. Their leadership team trusted my vision to engage artists from across the state directly. Some of whom shared that they have a personal connection to the population we serve in NESCI/CBDC. I have also collaborated with our Office of Professional Wellbeing and Engagement to facilitate lunchtime art workshops for employees that focus on forward thinking, goal setting, and mindfulness using a lesson in color theory. I also host tours for students, employees, and occasional visitors upon request.

It has only been a two-and-a-half-year journey for me, but so much has happened in the time I have been the art curator at UConn Health. I am digging deeper into my purpose: a personal mission to use my own progress as an artist and creative professional to help others thrive. I continue to grow in this position, and with the help of our art committee, I will find more ways to raise awareness and increase engagement with art at UConn Health.

We must acknowledge that the scope of art at UConn Health goes beyond visual media. Creativity is the foundation for writing, music, and theater. We have an Orchestra of UConn Health (O.U.C.H.), a student acapella group, and J.J. Odom. director of buildings and grounds, is a talented drummer. Furthermore, there are authors like Lucius Downing and Shawn Brown, who work in IT. UConn Health is a premier location for medical treatment, but there is an arts community that exists among the people who work here. I have only scratched the surface but there is a deep connection between health and creativity here and I am honored to be a part of it. I hope to continue cultivating a space where art, wellness, and community thrive together at UConn Health.

About the author: Andre Rochester is an artist, curator, and arts administrator based in Hartford. He currently serves as the art curator at UConn Health, where he oversees the Connecticut Collection and curates exhibitions that elevate healing through creativity. A passionate advocate for the intersection of art and wellness, Andre uses his platform to support emerging artists, cultivate community, and foster a culture of belonging through visual storytelling.