Oishei’s Healing Arts Program Promotes Power of Connection

Over the past two-year period—which has been defined by separation and isolation—The Martin Group has developed a renewed appreciation for our need to pursue multifaceted connections with our clients and their work. It’s the foundation of both who we are as an agency, and as creative professionals. Forming palpable connections propels our passions and fills our days with purpose, one project at a time.

And throughout this exploration, we’ve sought more opportunities to deepen these ties—both with the work we’re creating, and by supporting client-devised initiatives intent on transforming the lives of people throughout our communities.

Case in point: the Healing Arts Program at Oishei Children’s Hospital.

During our more than 10 years working with Oishei and their healthcare partners at Kaleida Health, The Martin Group has enjoyed a front-row seat to witness the impact our client’s work has had on the lives of thousands of Western New York families. With their dynamic healing arts program, they aim to provide pediatric patients and families with physical, mental, and emotional stimulation and experiences through thematic art installations, integrated cultural collaboration, and inventive programming at Oishei Children’s Hospital.

The connection between art and healing has been well-established in publications, by organizations and in peer-reviewed studies. Research and statistics throughout these resources show that incorporating arts programming into the healthcare experience has a positive impact on patients.

Engaging in or appreciating art in its many forms can improve patients’ health in so many ways—and provides comfort to their loved ones as well. The Healing Arts Program hopes to answer this need, and has a long-term goal to build an endowment that will create a unique healing space for the more than 145,000 pediatric patients and their families seen by the Oishei staff each year.

This will certainly help these individuals form a therapeutic bond with art—but there’s more than healing at the heart of this endeavor. There’s the socioeconomic and cultural impact of such enriching initiatives, introducing patients and their loved ones to the vibrant possibilities outside their hospital walls. It inspires a realm of imagination that can lead to hope, and in turn, progress to brighter days beyond operating rooms and long, stark hospital stays. And as this programming produces a spark inside the minds of its participants, it could introduce a new passion to those brimming with artistic potential, and a tool with which to transform their communities.

All these outcomes are made possible by the power of connection. Art brings people together, and at its best, connects our hearts, minds, and souls to something truly enriching. 

This is why The Martin Group is so supportive of this initiative—both with our true admiration, and on the walls of our Buffalo headquarters at 620 Main Street. Earlier this month, we welcomed an installation comprised of artwork by patients and families at Oishei. This exhibit, across our first-floor presentation space, now greets employees and visitors, and celebrates the ongoing success of our partners’ ambitious efforts.

This art also acts as a daily reminder of the importance that connections play in our lives. We’ve always known it, but coming out of these pandemic-afflicted years, its significance is illuminated. Whether as people or an organization, our ability to connect keeps us together, make us whole—and as we continue to appreciate, can inspire us to evolve into better versions of ourselves.

If you’re interested in donating art supplies to the Healing Arts Program at Oishei Children’s Hospital, click here. If you’d like to make a financial donation to the program, click here.