Charlottesville Mural Project announces 17 new chalkboard murals by Bolanle Adeboye

The Charlottesville Mural Project announces 17 new interactive murals for patients of UVA Health’s Department of Inpatient Psychiatry.

The 17 new original works will be painted by local artist Bolanle Adeboye. They will be completed over the month of July in the 17 patient rooms of the inpatient psychiatric facility in the East wing of UVA Medical Center.

Using soothing colors and specially formulated paint, Adeboye will transform wall surfaces into interactive artwork that patients and their visitors will be able to engage using chalk. The design will encourage therapeutic creativity, collaboration, and engagement for the
patients staying in the rooms.

“Environment and expression are probably the top two control knobs on my mental health self-care panel,” Adeboye said. “Also exercise, I guess. To be able to tweak and facilitate all three in a single project is about as fulfilling as it gets.”

New national guidelines for patient safety recommend the removal of framed artwork from facilities where patients might be prone to use objects to harm themselves and others. George Andrews and William Russell approached The Charlottesville Mural Project with a determination to find a solution that was safe and inspiring for their patients.

“Art is the one place in this culture where it is celebrated for your mind to work differently,” said Andrews, a UVA art professor and Inpatient Psychiatry staff member who leads recovery model art sessions with patients. “Having a permanent platform for patients to participate expressively in their own healing environment is empowering and opens the door for further therapeutic investigations and research. Bolanle’s art presents itself as an invitation for this.”

Russell, the nurse manager for Inpatient Psychiatry, notes the therapeutic potential that interactive artwork has for patients.

“People come to 5 East for a variety of reasons – one thing that is common is that they all have a need to work through their thoughts and feelings in a way that is cathartic and healing for them,” Russell said. “The versatility and beauty of Adeboye’s art is that it can be meditative for some and create an opportunity to express and explore for others.”

“While discussing this project with George Andrews, I was blown away by the enthusiastic vision and the level of creative engenuity everyone was pouring into the health and well being of their patients,” said Alan Goffinski, director of The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative. “Bolanle’s chalkboard mural concept quickly ignited our excitement as we imagined the benefit such an uplifting and engaging series of murals might provide patients going through a hard time.”