Medicine Man

[Patrick]

Medicine Man

Sometimes the difference between a stressful and acceptable hospital stay is the simple matter of the right art being on the walls.
By Peter Gianopulos

There was a time, not too long ago in fact, when every hospital waiting room in the land seemed to be painted in mint-green hues. Pistachio and lime as far as the eye could see.

The prevailing wisdom said that cool greens had a soothing effect on patients, but Jan Marion, the current owner of H. Marion Framing stores in Glenview and Wilmette, knew better. He spent many years visiting hospitals with his ailing father, Harold, and saw the spaces for what they were: "scary," "cold" and "institutional-looking."

It's one of the reasons Marion has devoted so much of his time and resources to the "healing art" movement, which seeks to comfort health-care patients (and their families) via soothing design schemes and inspirational art.

In some cases, Jan's job is as simple as lowering artwork so that people in wheelchairs can easily view it, but sometimes it involves the total overhaul of a decor scheme or the inclusion of new art pieces to distract patients from the stress of tests and scans. Although he's worked in some 50 medical environments, here are four of the most striking examples of his work and the motivations that led to each. For more information, visit www.hmarionframing.com.


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