Baker Louvre: Palliative Care Art Night

The Baker Louvre, held on the evening of June 8th, 2023, was a night of artistic expression with the express purpose of inviting caregivers in palliative care and geriatrics to explore and share who they are through their artwork.

It was an interdisciplinary endeavor which included palliative care chaplains TJ Douglas and Rachel Rim, palliative care fellow Dr. Nadav Klein, physicians Dr. Milagros Silva, Dr. Ian Kwok, Dr. Jemella Raymore, and our tremendous administrative staff Allison Lasky, Michael Forde, and Sasha Garcia. However, the submissions and participation of this night expanded representation to social workers, chaplain fellows, medical students, residents, and even colleagues’ significant others.

The night of the event was a smashing success and included 20 submissions for visual art spanning paintings, photographs, sculptures, pottery, sketches, wire/light installations, and quilting. When the event started, hopes were for a few pieces, and maybe a small performance. Colleagues were thrilled to see hallways so full of people that the performance section (which included spoken word, poetry/short story readings, singing, and instrumentation) had to be moved to the middle of the connecting hallways to accommodate the crowd. 

The atmosphere was filled with awe and respect for the humanity that colleagues were willing to hang on their sleeves. To say that the event was more than envisioned would be an understatement. It was a privilege to create a safe environment for self-expression, and to encourage our talented colleagues to continue making the art that keeps them human.

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