Paintings in Hospitals unveil their Childrens Collection

By Florence Waters Published: 10:26AM GMT 03 Mar 2010

Reg Cartwright"s The Band Over the Hill Photo: PAINTINGS IN HOSPITALS

The initial open place in Britain for artists to arrangement their functions was a childrens hospital. The story goes that William Hogarth flashy the walls of the Foundling Hospital with functions of art donated by � la mode British artists. It held the publics imagination, and it was this that led to the first of the Royal Academy in 1768.

Nowadays, childrens wards right afar might not be befitting places to cling to a Hogarth, but they are still the doubtful spaces for magnum opus spotting. Or so it seems, after my new revisit to a small art studio tucked at the back of the Tate Modern on Londons Southbank. Following my new essay about the healing benefits of art in hospitals, I was meddlesome to revisit in to an muster of functions owned by the gift Paintings for Hopsitals, who are this year focussing on expanding and mending their Childrens Collection. Admittedly, I had rather approaching to find pansies in paint-by-numbers so I was anxious to see that worldly and talented functions by obvious artists - Albert Irvin, John Hoyland, and Quentin Blake in between them were on show.

Thyestes at the Arcola / Iya-Ile at the Soho Theatre - examination Damien Hirst picks up brush for new pick up of oil paintings The Conversation Piece: Scenes of Fashionable Life, the Queen?s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, examination Ruth Ford Biomimicry: because the universe is full of smart pattern

According to the muster curator Sophie Dodds, art collections privately orientated towards immature kids is a not asked area in open health spaces. In particular, she says, the gift are aiming to emanate spaces gentle and engaging for teens:

"What the childrens pick up aims to residence is the miss of design befitting for an youth audience. Many teenagers find themselves feeling really alienated when being treated with colour in sites that are obviously written and flashy with a really immature age-group in mind.

"By introducing the probability of digital art downloadable onto mobile phones, we have additionally found afar around catering privately for an youth assembly inside of sites that additionally provide people from opposite age groups."

For any one with an seductiveness in the building attribute in between the worlds of art, therapy, and health, this show is value a visit. Look out for the recently-donated array of functions by British house painter and illustrator Reg Cartwright. I quite love the oil portrayal of the confidant slick bears, bunnies and badgers marching lyrically over the mountain to the receptive to advice of a drum.

Paintings in Hospitals: The Childrens Collection is at the Menier Gallery, 51 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1RU Mar 3 twenty