'A Swirl Can Turn Into a Masterpiece': How One Artist is Illuminating Shriners Children's Boston, One Installation at a Time

When visitors to Shriners Children's Boston glance up from the outpatient waiting area, they are greeted by a larger-than-life rendering of Fezzy, the Shriners Children's mascot. The atrium design of the hospital's upper floors offers a clear view of the colorful mural featuring the beloved bear with his arms wrapped around the world.

The inspired artwork was created by award-winning artist Jamaal Rolle, nicknamed the "Celebrity Artist" because of the prominent individuals he has painted, including Pope Francis and President Barack Obama. Jamaal is known for the participatory nature of his projects. Patients, families and staff contributed their own dash of creativity to the mural - and Jamaal used that foundation to bring Fezzy to life. The inclusion of the globe in the artwork symbolizes the international reach of Shriners Children's. Patients come to the Boston location from all over the world for specialized pediatric care.

Jamaal said some children were worried about making mistakes on the wall. "I would say - you can do it. Then we couldn't get them away because they could see it all starts with a mark. And a dot can turn into a line, a line can turn into a swirl, and a swirl can turn into a masterpiece. I think everybody has a masterpiece in them," he said.

Shriners Children's Boston's Director of Therapeutic Services Lori Connolly, DPT, PT, noted that working with Jamaal has been "gratifying." She said projects like this "have given our patients the tools to explore their creative side and Jamaal has willingly shared his expertise and experience, mentoring them along."

Lori explained that art projects also have clinical benefits. "In the clinical sense they offer another avenue for our therapists to engage patients in movement and function-based activities to reinforce their goals in therapy."

This summer, Jamaal returned to Shriners Children's Boston, bringing his signature artistic style to the outpatient clinic, creating an ocean scene featuring seashells, a starfish, seahorse, dolphin and more. The star of the show is a giant sea turtle who holds center stage in the drawing.

In just over an hour, Jamaal drew the design using a black paint pen and assigned specific colors to some sections of the sketch. Patients and families then helped Jamaal paint the mural. Over the course of a few days, Jamaal completed the mural, incorporating more color and adding exquisite detail.

Jamaal was introduced to Shriners Children's Boston through his friend Cindi Gianopoulos. A longtime supporter of the hospital, Cindi has helped connect patients with specialized care through family friend and Shriners Children's Boston plastic surgeon Daniel Driscoll, M.D. "After I met Jamaal, I asked Dr. Driscoll what he thought about our mural project. He passed along the idea, Jamaal and I came to the hospital, and it feels like we never left," Cindi said.