Charmaine Wheatley, B.F.A.

Professional Background

Wheatley is the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) at the Golisano Children's Hospital (GCH) at Strong, and holds a faculty appointment in the School of Medicine & Dentistry. She is a visual artist whose work is held in international museum and library collections, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art. She has received numerous awards and honors, and is a lifetime AiR at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA. Her recent work at URMC has involved sitting with people from stigmatised communities - including those affected by Mental Health, HIV, and Opioid Use Disorder - and working to reduce stigma through her artistic practice of narrative portraiture.

As AiR at the GCH, Wheatley uses her conceptual art background and specialized skills to execute site specific projects, that support children, their families and their care team during their hospital experience. Her objectives include: portraiture that celebrates the diversity of the GCH community; art as gift (e.g., prismatic stickers that cast rainbows); and art-based story telling related to GCH’s mission (“Graphic Medicine”). She is invested in continuously creating fresh art installations in the public spaces of GCH that make all members of the GCH community feel valued and welcome.