Children and teens undergoing brain scans at the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) need not be intimidated by what usually feels like a cold, stark, and lonely MRI suite. 

Thanks to a partnership with RxART, a nonprofit organization that commissions established contemporary artists to transform children’s hospital settings into engaging and uplifting healing environments at no cost to the hospitals, the imaging suite at the MIDB feels light and calming—even beautiful. The Eliza Moore Fund generously sponsored this project.

Artist Rashid Johnson developed the serene blue and white “Seascape” imagery that was recently installed in the MIDB’s state-of-the-art imaging suite, in which more than 1,000 scans are completed each year for a variety of brain research studies and leading-edge translational applications for MRI.

“The goal of the space is to make the scanning environment as child-friendly as possible,” says Steven Nelson, PhD, MIDB’s Imaging Core director. “People have commented that it really brightens up the space, making it feel more welcoming and less sterile.” 

Read more about the RxART project or make a gift to support innovative neurodevelopmental research and care at the MIDB.