The Power of Images: Art Initiative Displays Community Thanks to Penn Medicine Healthcare Workers

Penn Medicine: Helping others through art and research

#phillyheARTsyou digital art collaboration

This spring, Penn Medicine launched a social media series that featured artwork by local and national artists, depicting images and inspiring messages to express support and gratitude for health care workers.

The project begins with a piece from Manuela Guillén, a Philadelphia artist and educator who was born in Miami to Cuban-Salvadoran immigrant parents.

“This illustration is made to honor the healthcare workers in and around Philly,” Guillén said. “As a teacher and as someone who also works with the community, this type of work requires you to pour a lot of energy into others and sometimes leave very little for yourself. This artwork shows the public expressing their compassion and appreciation to healthcare workers by symbolically pouring flowers to them.”

Other local artists have a special connection to the series, as he’s worked at Penn Medicine for more than 10 years. Eli Smith, a fundus photograph grader for the Center for Preventive Ophthalmology and Biostatistics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is also an artist who works with oil paints. As an artist and grader, his goal is to help others — emotionally connecting with people through his artwork, and contributing to research that improves patient care.

“Working in a hospital is difficult, especially these past two years with COVID-19. To get up and go to work in a pandemic takes a lot of courage,” said Smith. “I wanted to connect with my colleagues and show them that we understand the sacrifices they make and the challenges they face every day in health care.”

As a child, Smith remembers always sketching with his pencils and pens, eventually moving into larger, more elaborate pieces with oil paint as an Art major in college. His love of art developed from his experiences growing up with Tourette’s and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

“With Tourette’s, you may have an uncontrollable motor and verbal tics, and it can be frustrating not having that control over your body,” said Smith. “I started to make art pieces that visualize these frustrations as a way to relate with others. There is something powerful and deeply healing about being able to feel like other people know and understand what you are going through. I hope my art brings a sense of healing to others too.”

Opening Day at The Pavilion

“Although it may seem trivial, looking at images of the insides of people’s eyes, I know that in the long run, the things we find will improve medical care for patients,” said Smith. “I think we all want our lives to matter, and my art and job are a few ways in which I am trying to matter and help others.”

The campaign can be followed on Penn Medicine’s social media channels (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) as well as via the hashtags #phillyheARTsyou, #ThankYouHealthcareWorkers, and #healthcareheroes.

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