When the head of UVic’s Island Medical Program decided it was time to freshen up the lobby of the Medical Sciences building, he reached out to Fine Arts Dean Allana Lindgren for inspiration. Together, they came up with a plan that would result in the commissioning of a new mural by a Visual Arts student plus the curation of a new set of artworks from UVic’s 18,000-piece collection, with the participation of the Art History & Visual Studies department.
Selected by a jury to create an uplifting and welcoming mural reflecting themes of health, wellness and happiness, Visual Arts undergraduate student Claire Jorgensen created the large-scale painting “A Dream of Vitality”, which is now a permanent addition to the Medical Sciences building.
“I wanted to enliven our lobby with something happy and beautiful that would inspire a sense of wellness in our building’s community,” notes Dr. Bruce Wright, head of UVic’s Division of Medical Sciences and the Regional Associate Dean (Vancouver Island) of UBC’s Faculty of Medicine.
“Partnering with Fine Arts to install a mural was the perfect way to do this, and including a curated art collection was an amazing opportunity to spread that positive energy throughout the rest of the first floor,” says Wright. “The Island Medical Program is proud of the successful collaboration between our programs and, especially, to have supported student learning through this project.”
Jorgensen—whose work was recently seen in the 2024 BFA graduation exhibition Silver Bullets and who did the 2022 commission “Scenes of Knowledge” for UVic’s Equity & Human Rights office—feels her mural is a good fit with Wright’s vision. “It depicts native plants and landscapes as a demonstration of the resilience of the land and people in the face of oppression,” she explains. “I chose a nature scene because of the role the natural world plays in health and wellness: whether it be climate change, colonization or other factors, the continued pursuit of wellness and health shines through. It’s a hopeful piece, and works to instill optimism into those who view it.”
Together with Jorgensen’s mural, the newly curated art on display not only enlivens the building’s lobby but also offers Island Medical’s community of students, faculty and professional staff a new relationship with visual art when they gather in the building.
This new collaboration is just one of the many ways Fine Arts contributes to health and wellness on campus, and in the community.