Art for Health – Scottish Healthcare Collective
A Scottish NHS Arts Partners Touring Exhibition: two touring exhibitions of visual artworks by RSA Academicians and award winners, curated from regional health board and national art-in-health collections. We are proud to have exhibition one start at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
RSA200 Art for Health brings together artworks by Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) Academicians, New Contemporaries, Award Winners and Exhibitors drawn from regional health boards and national art in health collections. The exhibition highlights themes proven to promote positive health outcomes for patients, healthcare staff and visitors to clinical environments -Identity, Place, Nature & Colour. Together, the selected work acknowledges and celebrates the emotional and psychological dimensions of care – affirming creativity as an essential part of health, healing, and everyday life. Research consistently shows that engagement
with visual art in clinical settings reduces anxiety, supports recovery, and, in some cases, even contributes to shorter hospital stays. RSA200 Art for Health aligns with this, offering opportunities for reflection, meditation, comfort and connection – nurturing supportive healthcare environments. Aligned with the Royal Scottish Academy’s 200th anniversary celebration, a large and a small
‘Art for Health’ exhibition will tour major hospital sites across Scotland, highlighting the powerful contribution that artists have made to the wellbeing of people across Scotland.
The RSA200 Art for Health exhibitions will visit: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, The Bellfield Centre (Stirling), Forth Valley Royal Hospital (Larbert), Ninewells Hospital (Dundee), New Victoria Hospital (Glasgow), Inverclyde Royal Hospital (Greenock), Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary (Dumfries), Galloway Community Hospital (Stranraer) and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Founded in 1826, the Royal Scottish Academy supports art and architecture in Scotland. It is an independent, non-governmental institution, governed by members to operate on a charitable basis. The RSA runs a year-round programme of exhibitions, artist opportunities and events from the Mound, Edinburgh, and cares for a nationally recognised collection.
The RSA supports artists and architects through awards, residencies, scholarships, and bursaries. In 2026, the RSA will celebrate its 200th anniversary. It is marking this occasion nationwide with RSA200: Celebrating Together. This partnership project will bring hundreds of artists, partners, galleries, and institutions together for an extraordinary year of exhibitions, events, and performances
Co-curating the RSA200 Art for Health touring exhibition with colleagues and partner organisations from across Scotland has been both ambitious and rewarding. The selected works celebrate the importance of visual art within healthcare environments and the role the RSA has had in championing this. The joyful two-part exhibition will visit eight hospitals across Scotland over the next 12 months, catch it now at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and The Bellfield Centre, Stirling.” – Hans Clausen, Hospital Exhibition Manager.