The new $723.3 million Tweed Valley Hospital features a welcoming GARDEN sculpture in its foyer, created by artist Hiromi Tango.
A mini-documentary showcases the collaborative journey of this artwork involving patients, staff, and the community, who brought the sculpture to life using small pieces of textiles to create lilli pilli “berries.”
The artwork, which explores the healing properties of flora, is part of the hospital’s Arts in Health program that includes over 90 artworks by 30 local artists across 17 clinical wards, enhancing the environment for patients, staff, and visitors.
Major artworks at the hospital include a Welcome sculpture by Frances Belle Parker and a 30-metre mural by local Aboriginal students. The complete collection of the artworks can be viewed in a virtual “Arts Trail”.
Opened in May, the hospital is a new state-of-the-art facility with more beds and greater capability to serve the growing Tweed-Byron community, including an enlarged Emergency Department, new interventional cardiology and radiotherapy services, and improved outpatient facilities.
The integration of arts into health settings has been shown to improve health literacy and wellbeing, benefiting the entire community.
The Arts in Health Program, delivered in partnership with Local Health Districts, artists, and communities, aims to create engaging public health spaces and improve clinical outcomes.