The number fluctuates depending on the size of the pieces and the configurations. In any given rotation, there may be as many as 165 works of art by perhaps 20 artists displayed. The artwork rotates every four months to maintain the vitality of the program and to keep people engaged. “We try to keep it uplifting and engaging something that would help a patient keep their mind off their treatment,” Carleton says, “or would make them want to get up out of their chair and take a closer look or even engage in conversation with the patient sitting next to them.” One example featured an exhibit of dog portraits, and people began sharing their own stories of the dogs in their lives. Even though a piece may be great art, it might not be a good fit for Illuminations. A committee comprised of current and former Mass General Cancer Center patients, doctors, nurses, other hospital personnel and art lovers from the community reviews the application. To exhibit, artists must submit an application and send in images of the artwork. “Most people who exhibit with us know someone who has received treatment or is going through treatment,” Carleton says, “so even if they don’t have a direct family member or their own cancer experience, they feel compelled to exhibit with the cancer community.” Many of Illuminations’ contributing artists have had a relationship with the Cancer Center. “Our art exhibit is intended to provide enrichment and inspiration separate from the cancer journey,” says Megan Carleton, an art therapist and Illuminations Program Manager. When patients enter any of the approximately 13 waiting rooms at the Mass General Cancer Center on the main Boston campus or at the Danvers, Waltham and Concord satellites, they see a variety of works by New England artists displayed on the walls. It’s Illuminations, the center’s rotating art exhibit now in its 16 th year. The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center has found a way to elevate a patient’s mood and shift the focus from the illness to something more comforting and inspirational. Sitting in the waiting room of a hospital can create tremendous anxiety especially if the person waiting has cancer.

Illuminations magazine