Believe it or not, art in hospitals has actually been found to aid the healing process while gloomy walls or the wrong kind of art can cause physical distress.
American Art Resources, a health-care art-consulting firm, says scientific studies show that art can aid in the recovery of patients, shorten hospital stays and help manage pain. Of course it has to be the right art. Vivid paintings of landscapes, friendly faces and familiar objects can lower blood pressure and heart rate, while abstract pictures can have the opposite effect.
In 1984, scientists found that postoperative patients healed more quickly and successfully if they had park-view windows. Through the 1980s, scientists became more interested in the role of art in hospitals.
Art can also be used to help patients on a more practical level. Autumn Leaves in Flower Mound, Texas, an Alzheimer's and dementia facility uses artwork to keep patients oriented to their surroundings.
Each of the four hallways has a different theme, which helps patients remember where their rooms are. Among them is a landscape hallway covered in outdoor settings and a Western hallway depicting images from the Old West.