A pair of murals in the Summerland Health Centre are intended to help calm patients, especially children, as they await treatment.
The murals, completed last week by Penticton artist Larry Hunter, depict a jungle scene.
“I imagined myself being six years old, just having had my tonsils out and lying in bed,” Hunter said. “What would I want to look at?”
The answer to that question came in the form of the jungle scene, with inquisitive monkeys and happy birds and animals.
He said the murals were intended to provide a pleasant atmosphere to the room.
“It’s a good theme with lots of activities and animals.”
Marina Calangis-Jones, the patient care coordinator at the centre, said the murals are important since the centre performs day surgeries on many children.
“It’s all about a positive experience and reducing anxiety for our patients,” she said.
The mural project cost around $5,000 with the money coming from the Astral Media Have a Heart Radiothon, which raises funds for the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation.
Money had been left over from the equipment purchases and was used for the painting.
Hunter has painted numerous other murals in Summerland. Some of these include the art on the wall of the fruit packing house on Jubilee Road East, the interior wall at the Summerland Aquatic Centre, the wall of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, the exterior of the IOOF Hall and more.
