The art found in the buildings and on the grounds at Mary Free Bed transforms our clinical hospital environment to a place of warmth, beauty, and inspiration. Our rehab experts support the act of creating art because it heals, it expresses emotion, and it promotes freedom.
One look at all the paintings, drawings, and photography from former Mary Free Bed patients and other community members who are disabled and you’ll understand art’s ability to transform a patient’s frame of mind and enhance rehabilitation.
The Annual Mary Free Bed Art Exhibition
Every year the
Mary Free Bed Guild sponsors the annual Art Exhibition. The art exhibit is open to Michigan artists who are physically challenged. Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital showcases all of the art on the walls of our second floor inpatient building, usually from April until the end of summer.
The guild purchases selected works from the exhibit for permanent display in the hospital, which you can see throughout the Mary Free Bed campus.
The
30th Annual Mary Free Bed Fine Art Exhibition will be held April 16 - September 4, 2012.
Art Program for Pediatric and Teen Patients
Mary Free Bed’s pediatric and teen patients always look forward to Wednesday evenings, which is when
Very Special Arts sets up a shop on the pediatric unit with an art cart and an art project.
The art projects break up the kids’ week and participants get to explore their creative side. The program helps patients, families, and visitors come together for community and support.
ArtPrize at Mary Free Bed
ArtPrize, an international art competition held in downtown Grand Rapids, is judged by the public and anyone can compete.
In 2009, Mary Free Bed was venue to local artist
Anna Donahue's sculpture,
Rain. The Mary Free Bed Guild purchased and bronzed the piece, now permanently located on the hospital’s front lawn near the therapy path.
For ArtPrize 2010, Mary Free Bed was one of nearly 200 venues.
The hospital hosted an installment from Grand Rapids artist,
Carol Roeda. Patients and staff members helped Carol paint the 7 totems that make up the installment,
Walk With Me.
Both ArtPrize artists exhibiting at Mary Free Bed had ties to the hospital. One artist’s brother and niece (the model for
Rain) were treated at Mary Free Bed. The other artist previously raised funds through her art for a friend and fellow church member who was a patient of
Mary Free Bed’s Spinal Cord Injury Program.