Museum on Rounds
The Museum on Rounds program brings arts professionals into the hospital to lead creative sessions. The program began in 1991 by former Healing Arts coordinator Paula Most, as a collaboration between Rhode Island Hospital and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art. The program has grown to include both outpatient and inpatient areas of Hasbro Children's Hospital.
In weekly sessions, artist Suzanne Duquette shows reproductions from museum collections and leads a discussion of each piece of art. Patients are then given an opportunity to channel their creative energies through projects inspired by the artwork: a collage in the style of Matisse or a watercolor after Monet.
With a variety of art forms that include painting, mask making, sculpture, jewelry and collage, adults and children can stretch their creative muscles and find an expressive outlet for their feelings.
For many children, the Museum on Rounds program is their first exposure to great works of art and the creative process. The program allows hospitalized children the chance to create art and helps them gain a greater sense of accomplishment, self-worth and control during an unsettling situation.