Ralph Appelbaum Associates

RAA has collaborated with RxART and artist Shara Hughes to enhance the central corridor and elevator bay of Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona, creating a welcoming environment for patients and their families. Hughes’ calming and fantastical landscapes, crafted with mixed media, will envelop visitors at an immersive scale.

Each year, approximately 70,000 patients will experience Hughes’ installation at the hospital, which has been recognized for the 11th consecutive year in the 2021-22 U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals,” achieving top rankings in 10 specialties, including Cardiology and Neurology.

As a corporate design partner, RAA works with RxART, an organization dedicated to using visual art to aid healing in children’s hospitals. RxART commissions contemporary artists to transform these spaces into uplifting environments at no cost to the hospitals. The artwork spans over 5,300 square feet along the hospital’s corridors and elevator bay.

Hughes describes her installations as immersive landscapes that create a sense of being hugged by nature and inviting reflection. “The drawing shifts in materials and perspective,” Hughes explains. “I wanted it to feel like a safe, positive, and hopeful space where kids could find moments of respite and see a landscape that changes, moves, and grows. I aimed to create an exciting and hopeful experience for everyone who moves through the space.”