NYC Health Hospitals/Gotham
unveils community mural
at Belvis Health & Hospitals
A community-based mural by Renzo Ortega, the first in Belvis’s 25-year history, was unveiled to the public at NYC Health + Hospitals/Belvis Health Center. Photos courtesy of Jewel Webber
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 14 UNE 18-24, 2021 BTR
BY BRONX TIMES
A community-based mural by Renzo Ortega,
the first in NYC Health + Hospitals/Belvis Health
Center’s 25-year history, was unveiled to the public
on June 8.
It is part of a community mural-making project
to provide comfort and reduce stress for medical
workers, communities and patients and to provide
a space for emotional healing. The murals
build upon a long tradition of murals at NYC hospitals
dating back to the 1930’s.
The project was made possible through the
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund and the Mayor’s
Fund to Advance New York City.
“The mural mutual support celebrates the connection
created between healthcare workers, patients,
and families,” Ortega said. “When a family
member is ill, their homes and relatives become
vulnerable. In these circumstances, healthcare
workers play an essential role by providing the
necessary support and care to generate confidence
in communities so that they continue with
their health and treatment process.
A mural is more than an image on the wall,
it is part of the architectural structure and the
dynamics generated in that space. Mutual Support
facilitates the relationship between people
and contributes to developing a safe space at NYC
Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Belvis.”
This unveiling is one of 10 in 2021 and continues
the rollout of community murals at NYC
Health + Hospital locations throughout New
York’s five boroughs. At the end of the cycle there
will be a total of 27 murals added to the hospital
system, making this the largest public hospital
mural project since the WPA program of public
art in the 1930s.
Gotham staff, patients and surrounding community
were deeply involved with the concept
and creation of the mural. Online focus groups
were held to determine themes within the mural,
which reflects the multi-cultural aspects of the
community. The staff, patients and community
then came together at a socially distanced paint
party to fabricate the mural.