Artwork entries for Beebe specialty surgical hospital due Sept. 8

Beebe Healthcare is seeking photography and artwork to enhance the interior of its new specialty surgical hospital, coming to the Rehoboth Health Campus on Route 24 in 2022.

Beebe’s Art Advisory Committee is seeking approximately 50 wall-hanging art pieces to be reproduced on aluminum. Selected art will hang in lobbies, hallways and clinical areas.

“All of Beebe’s campuses and offices feature a patient-centered design, which was especially a key component of the South Coastal Health Campus and certainly will be a main focus of this new specialty surgical hospital,” said Mark Loukides, Beebe Healthcare vice president of facilities. “Art can be healing and nurturing. We are so happy to be working with local artists and photographers to breathe Sussex County into this new health campus for our patients and their families.”

Beebe broke ground at the future home of its specialty surgical hospital in May 2019. Exterior construction is nearing completion as work on the technologically advanced interior begins.

The $124 million, four-story, state-of-the-art surgery center will allow patients with scheduled surgeries to not compete for services with more acutely sick patients and emergency patients at a general acute-care hospital. Surgeons will be able to perform both minimally invasive and robotically assisted surgeries at this new center.

“Innovation is driving change at Beebe Healthcare, and this specialty surgical hospital shows how healthcare is changing right here in Sussex County. Beebe realizes procedure growth and need is rising, and a hospital with a focus on short-stay and outpatient procedures will fill this need,” said Dr. David A. Tam, Beebe Healthcare president and CEO. “We’re recruiting surgeons and providers to care for our growing community. We’ve added more than 55 providers since the start of the pandemic, and more are coming soon. Beebe is committed to Sussex County and to providing the best healthcare – right down to the healing art on the walls.”

In 2018, Beebe’s Art Advisory Committee successfully started a similar campaign to decorate Beebe’s newest health campus. The South Coastal Health Campus, which houses a freestanding emergency department and cancer center, features locally sourced art throughout its hallways and rooms. Located on Route 17 near Millville, the South Coastal Health Campus opened in May 2020.

Soon, the committee will also announce the winners of the Cape Henlopen High School competition, which was held earlier this year.

Art will be selected based on its suitability for a healing environment. Hospitals can be highly stressful environments for patients and guests. Selected artworks will be those that positively affect viewers, even promoting a calming response from them. Viewing familiar surroundings can help reduce stress, and build a sense of security and comfort. Artwork that has threatening imagery or can be perceived as dangerous, controversial, political or religious imagery will not be considered.

The Beebe Art Advisory Committee will select artwork to be printed and placed in the new hospital and become part of a curated collection. The committee will use the following guidelines for selection, in no particular order or priority: landscapes, regional, generic or seasonal; waterscapes, regional, generic or seasonal, preferably with calm or non-turbulent water; floral, familiar flowers, garden/bouquet style; flowers in vases, used sparingly for variety; figurative art, observational rather than interpersonal, people in positive, relaxed, nature surroundings, diverse and leisurely; still-life scenes; and nature themes with regional and/or historical imagery.

Artists shall submit images of their artwork by registering and logging in to the ArtCall.org website. The competition can be accessed by searching the open calls link for Beebe Healthcare at the top right of the page or clicking directly on the link at beebeartcompetition.artcall.org.

Each artist can submit up to five pieces. Only electronic images of the artwork will be required in the competition.

Beebe will follow up on selected pieces to obtain higher-quality electronic files for printing. Beebe will assume responsibility for the cost of printing, framing and mounting the selected pieces.

Priority will be given to local artists and other artists with a strong connection to the local community.

The competition will close Tuesday, Sept. 8. 

Selected pieces will be announced by Saturday, Oct. 30.

For more information, email questions to artsubmission@beebehealthcare.org.