Students at Southern Adventist University have been uplifting the spirits of long-term patients through creative painting projects for nearly two decades. The initiative, started by alum and adjunct instructor Dana Krause, involves a unique art class titled Creative Arts, which encourages students to create bright and inspiring artworks that are donated to hospitals and nursing homes in the Chattanooga area.
Introduced in 2006, the Creative Arts course is a one-hour elective offered during the fall and winter semesters. It is open to both nursing majors and non-majors, accommodating up to 20 students each semester. Students paint acrylic canvases featuring verses from Scripture, nature scenes, and other uplifting themes. These pieces are then donated to various healthcare facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes, with many of the biblical verses reflecting the native languages of the international students enrolled at Southern.
Krause, who has been teaching in the School of Nursing since 1992, conceived the idea to connect her nursing students with patients requiring long-term care. She believes that art can serve as a therapeutic tool, helping to alleviate pain and foster emotional healing. “In a way, it’s a community service class,” she stated. “Art can help decrease pain by shifting a patient’s focus to a creative, interactive activity. Similar to forming new brain pathways, we are using positive reactions to increase serotonin while also reducing constant activity at pain sites.”
The initial apprehension many students feel about their artistic abilities often transforms into confidence as they progress through the course. While the first paintings may take several class periods to complete, students typically find that subsequent pieces require significantly less time. Krause emphasizes that the goal is not to produce perfect art but rather to explore a new form of expression that can bring comfort to others.
Completed paintings are first displayed in AdventHealth Hall, the building housing the nursing program, before being placed permanently in local healthcare facilities. To date, an estimated 2,000 artworks have been shared within the community. Remarkably, some pieces from Krause’s first class are still visible on the fourth floor of Memorial Hospital in downtown Chattanooga.
Through this initiative, Southern Adventist University students not only enhance their own creative skills but also make a tangible difference in the lives of those in need. This ongoing commitment to using art as a medium for positivity and healing exemplifies the university’s dedication to community service and compassionate care in nursing education.
