ST. MARYS HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN
DAN COLEN
CITY/STATE
Bayside, NY
LOCATION IN HOSPITAL
Activity Center
INSTALL DATE
2017
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ABOUT THE INSTALLATION
In 2017, RxART worked with artist Dan Colen to create a massive, site-specific installation at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. To tackle the monumental commission, which encompassed 2,500 square feet of the hospital’s activity center, Colen created a photorealist masterpiece of enlarged pieces of falling confetti—inspired by his paintings of the same subject matter.
Colen and RxART worked with Colossal Media to hand paint the artist’s imagery onto the walls and across the ceiling of the activity center, which is used daily by nearly 300 inpatients and outpatients from New York City’s five boroughs as well as from parts of Long Island. The bright and metallic swirls of color brighten this previously dark and cavernous space and transform it into an inspiring epicenter used for indoor recreation, education, art classes, talent shows, and performances.
This project was generously supported by Serge Azria.
ABOUT THE HOSPITAL
St. Mary’s is the largest provider of long-term care for children with complex medical conditions in New York State and one of the nation’s leading providers of pediatric post-acute care. St. Mary’s provides specialized inpatient care, day healthcare, rehabilitation, home care, and education services to children and young adults following acute care hospitalization due to premature birth, illness, injury, or other critical health conditions.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Dan Colen (b. 1979, Leonia, NJ) graduated with a BFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2001. A painter, sculptor, and installation artist, he uses low-brow ephemera such as bird droppings and chewing gum and explores the potential of these materials, unbound by the controlled approach of conventional paint. He lives in Manhattan and works in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and upstate New York.
Dan Colen’s work has been shown in numerous institutions including Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, TX; Gagosian Gallery, London and New York; the New Museum, New York, NY; and MoMA PS1, Queens, NY. Colen is represented by Gagosian Gallery.
