Portraying Chronic Illness in Aging Adults

This project was born from the collaborative efforts of students from NURS 4612 Promoting Wellness in the Aging Family taught by Dr. Aaron Loeb and ART 4903 Special Topics in Art History: Picturing Power taught by Dr. Sara Ishii-Bear.

Driven by the aim to merge art and science ideologies, Dr. Loeb initially devised the idea of a collaborative project. With Dr. Ishii-Bear, the pair developed an assignment that brought together nursing students’ scientific medical knowledge and visual art students’ creative skills.

The work exhibits the ways visual art can be used to educate the community on healthcare and showcase artwork that visually communicates chronic illnesses experienced by the aging population. Pedagogically, this project demonstrates the interconnectedness between art and science.

The exhibit was on display in the Blagg-Huey Library from July—November 2024 and then travelled to the Houston campus March—May 2025. All items in this exhibit are protected under copyright and were included with permission from the copyright holder(s).

Exhibition, July 2024, TWU Libraries Blagg-Huey Library

A painting of a heart and a sculpture of feet in a display case. An abstract painting hangs on the wall in the background.
Display of drawings and a sculpture of two hands with drips of blood from the fingers.
Paintings and sculptures on display
Clothing hanging on a rack beside a painting of a violin
Photograph of a painting on a wall. The painting depicts a man sitting on a table being examined by a doctor. The text reads "A positive result is not the end! Talk to your doctor about treatments TODAY!"