About Sarah Dobbs
Arts In Healthcare Consultant

I have over eighteen years senior arts management experience as an art curator and arts in healthcare consultant. In 2002 I moved to Ireland to work in hospitals to design programs for patients, staff and visitors as well as to curate exhibitions, to advise on the care of art collections, and to address the specific needs of this vulnerable population. I have also designed and managed environmental design projects - commissioning artists to transform the austere hospital environment into a place of healing.

In 2007 I returned to Canada and am living in Toronto. I'm not an art therapist, as that work is part of a prescribed treatment. Instead, I am interested in the therapeutic effects of art on the well-being of the patient, and in offering possibilities and reminding the ill of their life before they became sick.

Best practice models show that using professionally well-trained artists to work with patients is highly beneficial. The patient is aware that the artist is not there is analyze but rather to share their practice and offer an opportunity to make decisions in an environment where institutionalization limits choice out of medical necessity.

In 2005 Sarah Dobbs traveled to Sri Lanka where she worked with over 1000 children orphaned by the 2004 tsunami and the 20 year civil war. For her work behind Tamil Tiger lines, she was honoured with the 2005 Leinster Express People of the Year Award.

Her account of that experience is described in the article below, which is written by Sarah. It was originally published by Walrus Magazine in 2006.