UIC art students uplift UI Health patients with new mural

Students in a mural class during the spring and summer sessions at UIC's School of Art and Art History painted a mural in the psychiatric unit at UI Health as part of a commission by hospital officials. (Photo: Faheem Majeed/UIC)

Patients walking into the psychiatric unit at UI Health this fall will see a new mural depicting grassy fields, trees and uplifting cityscapes that take over the 50-foot hallway with soothing greens and blues.

The purpose of the giant artwork is to help patients with mental health disorders in their healing process by offering inspiring, colorful images and positive messages, such as "You Are Loved," written on an ice cream vendor's cart in the city scene. The mural was painted by UIC students from the School of Art and Art History as part of a new class offered during the spring and summer semesters.

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Crystal Gallegos, a health care administrator at the hospital, said the project began when Dr. Mark Rosenblatt, chief executive officer of the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics and executive dean of the College of Medicine, suggested collaborating with the School of Art and Art History and involving students to Nick Dotson,inpatient psychiatry senior director,who thought it would be a great idea.

"Our goal was to create a more therapeutic atmosphere when entering the unit," Gallegos said. "We wanted patients to feel in a safe place - that this is a place where they will receive supportive care and treatment."

At the start of the spring semester this year, nine undergraduate students started work on the mural. In the summer, three other undergraduates completed another portion. The aim is to add to the mural in spring 2026 and extend it to other walls in the psychiatric unit.

While there are murals in other parts of the hospital painted by outside vendors, Rosenblatt wanted to commission the School of Art and Art History students. This led to working with Faheem Majeed, assistant professor and director of undergraduate studies in the school.

Majeed said he was happy the hospital wanted to leverage the assets of the university and decided to build an undergraduate mural painting class around the project.

"They understood that we were a teaching institution," said Majeed. "What really stuck with me, they said the patients here are not in prison, so it shouldn't feel like that. And I think they approached the art department with that in mind."

UIC's School of Art and Art History painted a mural at the University of Illinois Hospital as part of a commission by hospital officials. Bright colors and natural scenes are painted as therapy for patients.

Photos: Faheem Majeed/UIC

A unique client

Majeed was the lead instructor on the project during the spring semester. To bring outside expertise to the endeavor, the art department also contracted professional muralist Sam Kirk. The Chicago-based artist, whose works appear throughout the city, including the Logan Square and Pilsen neighborhoods, helped teach the students how to work on commissions and take a client's direction to heart while also being true to their art.

"They got the opportunity to be under the tutelage of a person who has been making a living off of art for a long, long time," said Majeed. "It was a lesson in how to actually do business and art."

Before the spring semester began, students had to apply to participate in the class. Because the project was a commission, several non-negotiables had to be met. The students needed to be comfortable working in a hospital setting and following directions.

Hospital staff also had to ensure the students worked safely in the hospital setting. Partitions were set up and hospital personnel were on hand to ensure that the project proceeded smoothly.

Before paint could hit the walls, students toured the hospital to learn about the facility and choose the spot for the mural. Input about the mural also came from patients through surveys. Students then had to devise ideas and have them approved by hospital staff.

"We were very careful about not putting images that might trigger some trauma for the patients," said Gallegos. "Now, when you come into the unit, there's a sign that says, 'It's a New Day,' to offer something positive as patients walk in."

Students work on a new mural commissioned by hospital officials. Students review their work.

Photos: Faheem Majeed/UIC

Learning the craft

Kirk focused on ushering the project through to completion, but a major component was teaching the students to work with clients. This was done through constant engagement with hospital staff.

"It teaches them how to craft the story and guide the client through the process and create an outcome that is a win-win for everyone," said Kirk. "I wanted them to get a good sense of how to professionally manage a commission."

Lucy Polkinghorne, a fine arts undergraduate student, took the class during the spring semester and used what she learned to inform her own project during the summer. The class helped her snag an unpaid commission to paint a 12-foot-by-6-foot mural for a farmer's market in Aitkin, Minnesota, she said. It's a project she can now add to her resume.

"Sam taught us a lot about how to talk to the people you're working with, and how to work through designs and get them approved in a way that is effective for you and the people that you're working for," said Polkinghorne.

Destiny Flores, another fine arts undergraduate, participated in the summer session with William Estrada, clinical assistant professor in the School of Art and Art History as well as Kirk.

As they painted the hospital mural, they noticed their work had an immediate impact on the patients and staff, Flores said.

There was minimal interaction with patients; still, they could glimpse the progress of the work. They shared their reactions through smiles, nods of approval and thumbs up to the students as they walked past.

"The main thing that I got from the class would be to have an open mind and be a lot more empathetic to those around you," said Flores. "Especially regarding mental health, I think that it's very important to be surrounded by art."