Snoopy mural comes to life at UC Davis Children’s Hospital Peanuts Paintfest
By Tricia Tomiyoshi
(SACRAMENTO)
For more than 75 years, Charles Schulz’ beloved Peanuts comic strip has brought joy to millions of fans around the world. For the past seven of those years, Peanuts Worldwide and the nonprofit Foundation for Hospital Art have brought hands-on Peanuts joy to a very special audience: hospital patients, staff and communities on seven continents.
A patient paints Franklin with art therapist Cassy Lacroix in the pediatric infusion room.
UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento joined this international celebration today when the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy team hosted Peanuts PaintFest. Patients and their families along with staff collaborated to paint a 56” x 49” six-panel mural featuring Peanuts characters Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Franklin, Snoopy and Woodstock.
The mural’s six panels feature black-and-white outlines of the popular characters, which participants filled with color using the paints and brushes and guidelines provided by Peanuts and the Foundation for Hospital Art. Pediatric patients participated at the hospital’s Panda Cares Center of Hope, the Tower 6 Playroom, at patients’ bedside as well as the Pediatric Infusion Room at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“Community art projects in the hospital create opportunities for patients, families and staff to connect, express themselves and find moments of joy and meaning in an otherwise challenging environment,” said Jennifer Miller, art therapist at UC Davis. “Through the shared creative process, art fosters a sense of belonging, supports emotional well-being and highlights the value of creativity and connection in the healing environment. We are thankful to Peanuts Worldwide and Foundation for Hospital Art for bringing this opportunity to our hospital.”
The mural is a permanent gift to UC Davis Children’s Hospital made possible through a collaboration among Peanuts Worldwide, UC Davis Children’s Hospital and the Foundation for Hospital Art.
“Charles Schulz would be delighted to know that his characters will bring joy to the hospital community for years to come,” said Melissa Menta, senior vice president of Global Brand and Communications of Peanuts Worldwide.
