Healthcare Spotlight: Cleveland Clinic

I have spent much of my life surrounded by art, having had the good fortune of growing up in a family that appreciated the arts and in cities that had world-class museums. But I was also always intrigued by the encounters that I had with art outside the traditional museum setting and I have dedicated much of my career to creating these opportunities for others. 

One of the most rewarding chapters of my life was serving as the founding Executive Director of the Art Program at Cleveland Clinic from 2006 to 2020. During that time, I witnessed the transformative effect that art can have on a healthcare environment—not just for patients, but for caregivers and families too.

If you’ve ever walked through a Cleveland Clinic facility, you’ve surely noticed how integrated art is in the space. Today, the Clinic’s collection includes more than 7,000 works of art and over 45  site-specific commissions. What is even more remarkable is that over 90% of that collection is on display at any given time.

Even an art program as robust as Cleveland Clinic’s has finite resources to devote to their vast scope of projects and so I was thrilled when they were one of the first healthcare organizations to sign up for Museum Exchange back in June 2022 when we launched the Healthcare & Education platform. It has been so meaningful to me personally to be able to stay connected to the incredible work that they do, now supporting it from the outside. 

Recently, I had the chance to catch up with my successor Ellen Rudolph, Curator and Senior Director of the Cleveland Clinic Art Collection, to learn more about how the Clinic continues to embrace art as a vital part of healing, and how Museum Exchange has helped further that vision. Below are some excerpts from our conversation.

Andrea Belag, As the World Turns, 2021, oil on linen, 56 x 70 ½ inches. Cleveland Clinic; Gift of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York. Courtesy of the artist. Installed at Main Campus Executive Administration.

Joanne Cohen: Can you tell us about your mission at Cleveland Clinic and the patients you serve?

Ellen Rudolph: Our mission is caring for life, researching for health, and educating those who serve. Our vision is for Cleveland Clinic to be the best place for care anywhere and the best place to work in healthcare. In service of that mission and vision, the Art Collection aims to offer patients, visitors, and caregivers meaningful experiences with contemporary art. Integral to the healing environment, the art activates and anchors spaces throughout our many locations and functions as an important wayfinding tool. Patients come from all over the world to receive care at Cleveland Clinic, and the art collection is designed to reflect that diversity by presenting a broad range of perspectives.

JC: Few healthcare organizations have an art program as comprehensive or ingrained in the culture of the institution as that of Cleveland Clinic. Before this role, you worked as a curator in museums. Can you speak to what drew you to this opportunity and what makes the program distinct from other art venues?

ER: When I first started conversations [with you] about coming to Cleveland Clinic, I was taken with the number of people circulating through the hospital at any given time—it just felt so alive and vital—and the idea that people from all walks of life would encounter museum-quality art during their hospital visits was very exciting to me. Now, after nearly six years at Cleveland Clinic, I am humbled and inspired by the effect that patients and visitors report the art has on their hospital experience. I’ve come to appreciate that people’s vulnerability in the hospital often amplifies their encounters with art. It can have a needed calming effect and often speaks to people on a deeply personal level.

JC: You have so many great donors and a dedicated budget for acquisitions, what led you to start using Museum Exchange’s services?

ER: We are extremely fortunate to have generous donors. And because of the rapid pace of our growth, we’re constantly looking for art for new construction projects as well as to refresh existing areas. Museum Exchange offers a convenient platform for matching art donors with recipients and provides opportunities to fill gaps and complement existing works in our collection.

JC: How do different locations and uses of the spaces inform your thinking about what artworks to select?

ER: Use of the space drives the artwork selection—traffic patterns, type of care, and treatment, etc. informs everything from content to medium and scale. For different geographic locations, we try to evoke a sense of place. For example, we bring in colors and elements of the landscape in our Florida locations. Though our collection is global in nature, we work with artists in the various regions of Cleveland Clinic hospitals not only to engage the local arts ecosystem but to reflect an area’s aesthetic and demographic makeup.

Catherine Wagner, "I Don’t Know” (College Classroom), 1983-87, archival pigment print, 32 ¼ x 41 inches. Cleveland Clinic; Gift of the artist and Jessica Silverman, San Francisco. Installed at Health Education Campus.

JC: I know you work with a few other curators on your team. Do you involve other caregivers or stakeholders at Cleveland Clinic in the art selection process?

ER: At the outset of a construction project, we meet with stakeholders and end users to understand patient needs for the space and calibrate the art accordingly. For larger scale commissioned work, in addition to working closely with architects and engineers, we involve hospital leadership and community relations.

JC: What impact have you seen the art program have on patients, family, and caregivers? Can you share any stories?

ER: On a macro level, patients and visitors report that the art improves their overall satisfaction and mood and that it helps reduce stress and anxiety. The art affirms people’s humanity and gives them a break from the worries of the hospital. Many people report that a particular artwork spoke to them in a moment of need. One patient told us that while recovering from open heart surgery, a photograph featuring a strong-looking hand became a destination on his daily therapeutic walks and provided reassurance that he would get through the difficult recovery ahead.  

JC: Of course, for so many of these donors the fact that these artworks are enriching these people’s lives is so meaningful for them. Have you developed any relationships with new donors who you met through Museum Exchange?

ER: Yes. We’ve connected with artists, private collectors, and dealers through Museum Exchange. I think a big part of the appeal for donors who gift work to Cleveland Clinic is the fact that the art gets seen by thousands of people daily, and it can profoundly affect their time in the hospital.

JC: You are the gold standard in the field of art in a healthcare setting. Do you have any advice for other organizations thinking about using our services?

ER: I think the best thing to do is study the catalogues of available art and think about what could be a good match in terms of your institutional needs and a potential donor’s interests. Museum Exchange provides an opportunity to select art that fits your needs.

JC: Your support for the arts is beyond amazing! Your engagement with art for such a wide audience and the resulting impact is so palpable. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the incredible care that is delivered every day at Cleveland Clinic.