Art at Cowichan District Hospital

Call for artists now open!

Artists invited to apply to create art for future Cowichan District Hospital

Calling artists in and around the Cowichan Valley — this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for!  Applications are open now until June 30, 2025.

Please note: Artists who have previously registered or attended information sessions will still need to submit an application. 

Island Health is seeking artists to create artwork to be displayed throughout the future Cowichan District Hospital, currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2027.

By integrating diverse and local artistic expressions with top quality medical care, the hospital seeks to reflect the cultural richness and natural beauty of the Cowichan Valley, creating an environment that supports the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of its community members.  

We are seeking photography, paintings, graphic art, carvings, digital art, soundscapes, virtual reality, knitting, textiles, weaving, sculptures, prints and more!

If selected, your work may be featured in key spaces such as the community hall, clinical areas and the Indigenous Gathering Space.  It may also be chosen to support a system of wayfinding or included in interpretive exhibits for this vital community resource. 

Applications due by June 30, 2025. 

click-here-to-apply.png

Checklist for applications:

  1. Contact information
  2. Links to your portfolio, website and/or CV
  3. Artist statement (500 words or less)
  4. Identify the media you work in
  5. Five examples of existing artwork, no more than 2MB per file. File names must be formatted as follows: yourfullname.filenumber

For inquiries, please email art.newcdh@islandhealth.ca.

Latest News

June 2, 2025: Call for artists open now until June 30, 2025! Share this opportunity with artists in your community and encourage them to apply!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why art in a hospital?

Art creates a healing environment. Indigenous community dialogues and research* have made clear the importance and benefits of reflecting cultural identity and art in healing settings, and other evidence-based literature suggests that integrating art and thoughtful design into the construction of hospitals can reduce stress and lead to improved outcomes for patients. 

Art has been shown to reduce the need for medications, shorten hospital stays and de-escalate agitation and aggression. 

Art promotes healing and enhances the quality of health care experiences; it benefits all: patients, families, health care providers, volunteers and visitors.

*In Plain Sight Report 

  • Finding #8: Indigenous Health practices and knowledge are not integrated into the health care system in a meaningful and consistent way.
  • Recommendation #10: That design of hospital facilities in BC. Include partnership with local Indigenous peoples and the Nations on whose territories these facilities are located, so that health authorities create culturally appropriate, dedicated physical spaces in health facilities for ceremony and cultural protocol, and visibly include Indigenous artwork, signage and territorial acknowledgement throughout these facilities.
Whose art will be included?

Art will be created by members of all communities served by the hospital.

Artwork will be informed by all people who are served by the hospital, including First Nation communities in the region. We also acknowledge the new hospital will serve the Stz'uminus, Le'eyqsun, Spune'luxutth, MÁLEXEŁ, Xeláltxw, Ditidaht, Pacheedaht, Ts'uubaa-asatx, Métis, Inuit, urban Indigenous population and Quw'utsun peoples. 

The Cowichan Valley is also home to South Asian Canadians, Japanese Canadians, Chinese Canadians, 2SLGBTQI+, people with diverse abilities, students from local schools and other community organizations.

Art illustrates geographic location: the land upon which the hospital is being built informs major art installations, such as the Welcome Figures and the Carved Door for the Indigenous Gathering Space.

If I am not selected to contribute art, will you keep my completed application on file? 

Yes. Artist applications will be kept on file for consideration for future opportunities at the hospital.  

Will artists be required to create an original artwork for consideration during the Call for Artists application stage?

No. Artists will not be asked to create unique works during the Call for Artists, application phase. Examples of existing work will be requested.

Do artists who have already registered with the Art@CDH initiative need to apply? 

Yes. All interested artists must submit a completed application form by the June 30, 2025 deadline.  

Access the application form here.

What are the Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) criteria for artwork in the hospital?

Selections for art will be subject to an infection prevention and control (IPAC) risk assessment for artwork installation in healthcare facilities. Click here for more information about IPAC criteria.

Will Indigenous art be highlighted?

Yes. The Integration of Indigenous artwork is a response to Recommendation 10 of In Plain Sight*.

Artwork foregrounds Indigenous art, languages and cultures and is fundamental to the design and operations of the new hospital; it supports an environment of cultural safety and healing.

The integration of Indigenous art is as a call to action that addresses racism experienced by Indigenous people in Canada’s healthcare facilities.

Storytelling – inspired by the hospital’s location on the traditional territories of the Quw’utsun and stories inspired by all the Nations and Indigenous communities served by the new CDH – plays a fundamental role in the development of themes, artwork, wayfinding and landscape design. The stories that emerged during engagement sessions between the Project team and local Indigenous communities represent regional and cultural identity. 

*In Plain Sight Report Recommendation #10: That design of hospital facilities in BC. Include partnership with local Indigenous peoples and the Nations on whose territories these facilities are located, so that health authorities create culturally appropriate, dedicated physical spaces in health facilities for ceremony and cultural protocol, and visibly include Indigenous artwork, signage and territorial acknowledgement throughout these facilities.

Will there be opportunities to donate art to the new hospital?

If you are interested in donating your artwork to the new hospital, please contact the Art@CDH team at art.newcdh@islandhealth.ca to discuss possible donation opportunities.

January 29, 2025:

Read the first edition of the Art@CDH Newsletter

September 18, 2024: