Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford: Sustainable Art and Healing through Environmental Stewardship

At Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, there are over 4,000 whimsical art pieces that enhance the hospital’s aesthetics and promote well-being among patients, staff, and visitors. Among the vast collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures, only 2% of the artwork is made from recycled materials.

However, what sets this hospital apart is its commitment to sustainability in every aspect of its operations. The hospital has numerous examples of sustainable artwork that not only benefit the patients but also the healthcare employees. These unique pieces include a cow sculpture made entirely out of used miniature toys, a mighty-looking white ram constructed from repurposed electrical conduits, gaskets, and keyboard parts, a soccer ball created from recycled pencils, and a tele-com dog made from old telephone and answering machine parts.

Antonia Dapena-Tretter, the art curator at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health explains that these pieces create a warm and peaceful environment for all who see them. They bring joy and levity to both patients and staff while promoting health and well-being throughout the organization. The hospital plans to add more sustainable artwork to its collection to further prioritize sustainability and create a healing environment that demonstrates a commitment to environmental stewardship.