Paintings With Healing Message Donated to Child Study Center

By Nate Hinkel

 Little Rock artist Jane F. Hankins created eight paintings that were donated to the UAMS Child Study Center.
Little Rock artist Jane F. Hankins created eight paintings that were donated to the UAMS Child Study Center.
Jane F. Hankins talks about the collection of works donated to the UAMS Child Study Center.

Art helps children forget that they are ill while being in a strange place that otherwise might be frightening. Art connects children to delight and discovery and brings back some of the experiences of being a child, not just a sick child. – “Creativity and the Arts in Health Care Settings,” Journal of the American Medical Association, Feb. 4, 1998

April 5, 2011 | Art is a powerful force, one that can be beneficial to those in need of some form of relief from overpowering health issues and concerns. No one knows this better than the faculty and staff of the Child Study Center, a division of the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute.

Beginning with patients as young as 2, the Child Study Center housed on the campus of Arkansas Children’s Hospital, provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluations and treatment for youth with behavioral, emotional, learning and adjustment difficulties. A series of eight acrylic paintings by local artist Jane Hankins were recently hung on the walls of the center to help address some of the more common sources of trepidation in patients and help them cope with them.

The paintings, donated by Little Rock’s John and Patti Bailey, were given in honor of Betty Everett, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UAMS Department of Psychiatry, and all of the children treated at the Child Study Center. Each painting features a young girl, carrying a small stuffed rabbit, in a dream-like setting, making her way through what Hankins called “a mystical journey.”

“I love fantasy, and I heard an author the other day say that fantasy was a good way for children to learn about good and evil in a non-threatening way,” Hankins said at a recent unveiling of the portraits. “I have never done such a large series of paintings before. I am really honored that they are here (in the Child Study Center).”

“I am humbled by the caring, compassion, love and hope that are given the people that come here,” said Patti Bailey. “When you give them that gift of hope, you give them the world. I’m happy to share this with PRI and the Child Study Center as we try to help children combat their fears, whatever they may be.”

Lynn Taylor, M.D., director of the Child Study Center, thanked the Baileys and Everett “for paying it forward to all the children who are and will be treated here for their fears and anxiety.”

“The Child Study Center has a long and honorable history as a place of healing and hope for families in psychological pain,” said Taylor. “Today, in Dr. Everett’s honor, we celebrate this gift representing the journey to healing in a way that all of us, especially the children coming to us seeking solace, can understand.”