Patients & visitors
Healing Arts Program
Art has the power to heal, connect, and inspire. At St. Paul’s Hospital, the Healing Arts Program integrates music, writing, and visual arts into the healthcare environment – supporting emotional, spiritual, and cultural well-being as part of holistic care.
Research shows that engaging in the arts, whether actively or as an observer, can reduce stress, improve mood, ease pain, foster connection, and even support faster healing. Through the Healing Arts Program, these creative experiences offer patients and families meaningful ways to reflect and connect during their healthcare journey.
Founded in 2005, the program was the first of its kind in the Saskatoon Health Region. It continues to grow thanks to the generosity of donors to St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and the support of a passionate team of artists, therapists, and volunteers. Whether through bedside visits, workshops, or art displayed throughout the hospitals, the Healing Arts Program transforms care through creativity – and reminds us that healing is both a science and an art.
Healing Arts Online Gallery
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Mission Office
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The Healing Arts Program supports a wide range of individuals across the hospital – patients, family members, staff, and the wider community. Whether someone is navigating a difficult diagnosis, supporting a loved one, or working on the front lines of care, the Program provides moments of peace, joy, and reflection through creative expression.
Our team offers a variety of services in visual art, music therapy, and literary arts. Programming is delivered through bedside visits, group workshops, pop-up events, and one-on-one sessions. Activities include painting, writing, music-making, guided storytelling, and art displays. We also host seasonal celebrations and Creative Arts Jam sessions, and maintain several permanent and rotating galleries throughout the hospital.
Since its founding, the Healing Arts Program has provided over 5,800 volunteer hours through more than 50 volunteers, enriching our hospital environment and expanding our reach.
Led by a small but mighty interdisciplinary team – including an Artist-in-Residence, Music Therapists, a Writer-in-Residence and a growing team of active volunteers – the program is rooted in the belief that every person has a creative spirit. We tailor each experience to meet the unique emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs of the individual.
As a teaching hospital, St. Paul’s also provides mentorship and training through this program to students, artists, and healthcare professionals, contributing to the growing field of arts in health.
The Healing Arts Program is delivered by a passionate and talented group of professionals.
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Marlessa Wesolowski, Artist-in-Residence
Visual arts, bedside visits, and studio programming
306-655-0515
marlessa.wesolowski@saskhealthauthority.ca
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Lisa Wutch, Music Therapist
Music therapy services for individuals and groups
306-655-0560
lisa.wutch@saskhealthauthority.ca
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Tinaya Entz, Music Therapist
Creative music engagement at the bedside and beyond
306-655-5857
tinaya.entz@saskhealthauthority.ca
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Daniel MacDonald, Writer-in-Residence
Literary arts, memoir writing, and reflective storytelling
306-655-5873
Daniel.macdonald@saskhealthauthority.ca
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Blake Sittler, Director of Mission
Program oversight and strategic support
306-655-5819
blake.sittler@saskhealthauthority.ca
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Ashley Drayton, Mission Coordinator
306-655-5808
ashley.drayton@saskhealthauthoriry.ca
Together, this interdisciplinary team delivers creative care that supports healing in body, mind, and spirit. Volunteers, student interns, and community artists also play a vital role in making the Healing Arts Program vibrant and inclusive.
The Healing Arts Studio is located in the A-Wing of St. Paul’s Hospital. To find us, enter through the main entrance, turn right past the Tim Hortons, and turn right down the hall past the elevators.