Art Meets Orthopedics with a Unique Exhibit at the Hutchinson Campus

A unique art exhibit of anatomical drawings and papercraft relating to orthopedics is now on display through November at the Gallery of ARTFul Medicine at Montefiore Einstein’s Hutchinson Campus. It features the art of Marianne R. Petit, a New York artist and educator. The show, “An ARTFul Interpretation of Orthopedics,” highlights and explores the works of orthopedics as told through the art of papercraft.

The artwork is inspired by Petit’s personal experience after spending seven years of her youth wearing a back brace. “I wanted to find a way to provide an informative but gentle visual journey through potential treatments,” she said.

Various interventions potentially encountered in one’s journey are represented through full-color pop-ups. These include implants, arthroscopic surgery, trauma procedures, orthopedic oncology, pediatric orthopedics, injections, radiofrequency ablation, physical therapy, and acupuncture. Quick response (QR) codes located alongside each piece take visitors to hospital resources.

“Marianne Petit has translated anatomical objects and surgical devices into an innovative, colorful and educational display. She has created a beautiful and thoughtful atmosphere for patients and visitors who enter our practices for orthopedic care.”
—Marcie B. Cobelli, NP, Director of Patient Education, Montefiore Einstein Center for Joint Replacement Surgery

Physicians and caregivers also donated personal items for inclusion in the exhibition. Among these objects are implants, braces, 3D prints and other teaching models, external fixators, rehabilitation equipment and more. 

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“This exhibit shows a little bit about how your body works and how we can work to restore your normal function and get you back to a normal life through the use of these modern technologies, while also acknowledging everybody’s individual wishes to get back to the activities they’ve always loved,“ said Matthew N. Bartels, MD, MPH, Chairman, Rehabilitation Medicine, and Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Montefiore Einstein.

To create the art, Petit, who is an Arts Professor at New York University’s Interactive Media Arts and Interactive Telecommunications Program at the Tisch School of the Arts, collaborated with Marcie B. Cobelli, NP, Director of Patient Education, Montefiore Einstein Center for Joint Replacement Surgery, and Jodi Moise, Director, The Fine Art Program and Collection, Montefiore Einstein, with support from the physicians and surgeons under the direction of Neil J. Cobelli, MD, Chairman and Professor, Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Einstein. 

The exhibit is sponsored by The Fine Art Program and Collection, Montefiore Einstein, and the Montefiore Einstein Department of Orthopedics.