Creative Arts

The newest art exhibit at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) celebrates the diversity of regional artists from Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. The show, titled From These Hills: Contemporary Art from the Southern Appalachian Highlands, is on loan from the William King Museum of Art (WKMA) in Abingdon.

Creativity in Health Education

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine launched the Creativity in Health Education program in an effort to expand the social, cultural, and humanistic awareness of the school’s students, faculty and staff by integrating the arts in to their daily routines. The program allows faculty and students to embrace the arts and understand the role that art can play in both education and the practice of medicine, as well as involve the community members in the life of the school.

The program accomplishes these goals through a variety of community events. Most prominent thus far have been the regular art shows that include public openings. Local and national artists have contributed to the shows, as have VTCSOM medical students and faculty. As of fall 2021, 25 different shows have been unveiled in the halls of the medical school. The artwork not only enhances the medical school’s physical space, it also imparts the humanistic side of medicine on students and those who work in the building.

David Trinkle, Associate Dean for Community Engagement says of the Creativity in Health Education Program, “Art can enhance a person’s adaption to illness as well as promote recovery. We hope that the programs and shows that we feature at our school reinforce a holistic, patient-centered approach to healthcare that will benefit the students as well as the community as a whole.”