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"Changes III" by Amabelle Aguiluz. | Photo courtesy of Ontario Museum of History & Art
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The Ontario Museum of History & Art and the Chaffey Community Museum of Art biennial joint exhibition this year explores the intersection of art and healing. Through commissions from contemporary artists and select artworks from the San Antonio Hospital Collection, “The Art of Healing” exhibition pays homage to local community institutions as well as influential medical figures, including the first Ontario woman doctor, Dr. Idris H.B. Gregory. The Ontario Museum will showcase “The Art of Healing: Holistic Expressions,” and Chaffey will present “The Art of Healing: Highlights from the San Antonio Hospital Collection.” The exhibition opens on Thursday, June 27, and closes on Oct. 20. The museums will hold a community reception on Sunday, June 30, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Inspired by San Antonio Community Hospital’s architectural transformation during the 1950s-70s to improve its patients’ recovery process, Ontario Museum will transform its North Wing galleries, formally offices for the City of Ontario’s Public Health department, into communal healing spaces through a series of immersive installations, large-scale artworks, and participatory art commissions from contemporary artists including: Amabelle Aguiluz, Flora Kao, Caylin Yorba-Ruiz, Denise Silva, Melissa Ellyn Watkins, and others.
“From Aguiluz’s unconventional fiber sculptures to Kao’s deeply personal, immersive installations and Silva’s dream-like murals, all these artists interpret the topic of healing through their artistic practice,” said Samantha Herrera, assistant curator of exhibits. “Their inventive designs and art-making processes extricate the inherent potential of the human mind and body to heal itself. In so doing, they offer alternatives to aid and challenge conventional medical interventions.”
“The Art of Healing: Highlights from the San Antonio Hospital Collection,” will pay homage to the San Antonio Community Hospital located initially in North Ontario (now Upland). The exhibit includes works by Phil Dike and other significant artists living and working in the Pomona Valley.
The Ontario Museum of History & Art is located at 225 S. Euclid Avenue, Ontario, CA 91762. The hours are Thursday and Friday, noon to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the museum and exhibit is free. To learn more about “The Art of Healing” visit, www.ontariomuseum.org.
