The University of Toledo hosted its 21st Annual Health Science Campus Artist Showcase this semester, an event that displays original artwork created not by traditional artists, but those in the health sciences, as a unique approach to sharing how art and science intersect in their professional fields. Artwork created by UToledo students, faculty and staff — ranging from photography to sculptures — will be on display and open to the public from Feb. 2 to April 1, 2026 on the fourth floor of the Mulford Library.
A reception was held on Feb. 6, where Dr. Heather Sloane Cleary and Dr. Aravindhan Natarajan from the College of Health and Human Services gave a lecture titled “Embracing Artistic Inquiry.”
“[H]ow we were initially reluctant to embrace artistic pursuits in the academic context, and then how we overcame that,” Natarajan said.
In his artist description, Natarajan describes how he had no formal training, but took his appreciation of the arts into social work as a creative way to engage with clients. His pen and ink sketches have been featured in prestigious qualitative research publications.
“What I love about this show, for all the years we’ve been doing it, a lot of times I know someone as a student, or as a researcher or as a faculty member, and I feel like this show helps me see beyond that,” Jolene Miller, director of Mulford Library, said.
Events like these, not only allow the UToledo community to see their peers and co-workers through a new lens, but the function of the physical library space.
“[Academic libraries] are curiously communal spaces where people gather. I think there’s something in everyone who interacts with the library … where it is a, it’s a memorable experience. […] Events like this evening make that possible,” Thomas Atwood, dean of university libraries, said.
Several artworks had quotes or descriptions from the artists next to them, often describing how the individual became interested in art and how it intersects with their careers.
Photographer and legal nurse specialist, Kim Marie Steele, detailed how she got her first camera as a present when she was ten years old. While her life’s path led her into healthcare, she loves to go out for photoshoots whenever she can.
Rosalyn Liou, a fourth-year medical student, loves determining patient diagnoses, but also creating art for herself and others.
Someayeh Darzi, a Ph.D. candidate, discovered mandala painting as a form of healing amid the pressure of academia and life far from family.
Mark EckHart, Infection Preventionist at the University of Toledo Medical Center, got into resin art after the COVID-19 pandemic, and started his own business called Square Circle Creation to promote his work.
The exhibition beautifully captured the juxtaposition of each artist’s life with their role in the health sciences, presenting a fuller view into the lives of UToledo students, faculty and staff we meet on campus every day, inspiring others with a meaningful connection that can be found at the intersection of fields, people and spaces. As these artists have shown, art can be a source for new ideas, a creative outlet or a way to connect with others.
Explore more artwork from the exhibition below.
