Aesthetics of Health
A one-of-a-kind partnership between Dell Medical School’s Livestrong Cancer Institute and the University of Texas at Austin’s Fine Arts Department to explore the intersection of art and healthcare. In this studio art course, we have the privilege of interviewing and creating portraits of cancer patients in real-time as they share their story.
“Patient Portrait No. 1”, Graphite on paper
Artist Commentary:
He sat for our first portrait session. Thanks to a chance elevator run-in with the instructor, I discovered my dream class: a studio art course entitled “Aesthetics of Health”. As a medical student among art-major classmates, I listened intently, and for the first time in lieu of HPI scribbles, I slowed down and sketched out the contours of his features. He shared vivid memories of marathon runs, surgeries, unexpected losses, and how humor helped him through it all. What’s the art of medicine? The privilege of helping patients feel heard and feel seen.
“Patient Portrait No. 2”, Ink on paper
“Patient Portrait No. 3”, Ink on paper
“By creating art with and for cancer patients, caregivers, and clinical staff, Aesthetics of Health students use their art to make connections and build relationships with others in a clinical setting.
Students in the course explore community-based practice, the application of therapeutic arts, science and medicine, and inserting a higher level of empathy into their creative work.”
— Megan Hildebrandt, Instructor & Cancer survivor