ABSTRACT
What more perfect place to introduce the healing arts than in a healthcare environment? Much has been written about the built environment and its impact on the health and wellbeing of those who inhabit healthcare spaces. The concept of including the arts in healing rituals has been prevalent for centuries within indigenous cultures around the globe. More recently, the concept of including the arts in healthcare emerged in Italy in the fifteenth century with the inclusion of paintings and ceramic works in hospitals in Florence, Siena, and Milan (Baron, 1996). This practice gained momentum in the twentieth century and is exhibited in a variety of forms in today’s healthcare facilities.
