172 Nature Images Installed in a North Georgia Hospital: How Biophilic Design Became Part of the Care Team

The new CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital in North Georgia, which recently opened in Ringgold, GA, was designed, from the very beginning, to make people feel better just by walking through the door. The hospital leaned into local nature photography and biophilic design principles to bring this long-held community vision to life.

A hospital built from the inside out

Angela Stiggins, RCP, RRT, MBA, Market Vice President of Operations and Site Administrator for CHI Memorial, didn’t arrive in Ringgold by way of a corporate transfer. She grew up here and built her entire career here. And when this hospital finally opened, a facility her community had been waiting decades for, she was at the center of it. At the hospital’s opening ceremony, Stiggins said:

“I live in this community, and have been here my entire life. This is exactly what the community needed. This hospital will help this community enjoy a quality of life that they may not have had prior to us being here.” (The Georgia Bulletin, March 2026)

Leadership like that changes everything about a project like this.

When our team at Kurt Johnson Photography was brought in to provide nature art for the facility, Stiggins wasn’t just signing off on selections. She was a creative partner, sharing insight into how patients move through the building, what the community responds to emotionally, and what it means to finally have a healthcare space that truly belongs to the region it serves.

That’s the kind of collaboration that turns hospital walls into something meaningful.

This approach reflects a growing movement toward evidence-based design in healthcare, where patient outcomes, stress reduction, and environmental psychology guide every visual decision, including art placement and material choices.

What 172 pieces actually looks like

Our art consulting process began early, which meant we could think about flow, substrate, and scale in relationship to the actual patient experience.

Being part of project like this from the beginning elevates the overall design and results in the best outcomes for the entire care team.

Throughout the process, Azita Soraya, owner of Soraya Consult Group, oversaw all artwork and furniture selections, ensuring that every visual and interior design decision aligned with the hospital’s healing-focused biophilic design goals.

Our involvement with this healthcare art installation was comprehensive, touching nearly every type of space in the facility. There were:

• 64 framed works placed in patient care and treatment rooms
• 81 canvas pieces installed throughout corridors and transitional spaces
• 27 acrylic pieces featured in lobbies, waiting areas, check-in desks, and other shared spaces

Each substrate was chosen with purpose.

Framed art brings warmth and comfort into private care settings.

Canvas softens long corridors as patients and visitors move through the building.

Acrylic introduces brightness and clarity in highly visible common areas, where first impressions matter.

Despite the variety of substrates and spaces, the environment feels cohesive. That’s because every image across all 172 pieces came from the same two sources: KJP photographers Kurt Johnson and Jerred Zegelis, whose years of experience shooting the natural world give the entire collection a consistent eye, palette, and sense of place.

Why nature imagery

When we started thinking about the best art for CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital North Georgia, the “why nature” question answered itself pretty quickly. The science is clear. Research in evidence-based design in healthcare environments consistently shows that exposure to nature imagery, even in photographs, can reduce stress, lower perceived pain, and support faster recovery. It’s central to how we approach every healthcare environment we work in.

The most effective healing art gives patients, visitors, and staff a positive distraction when they’re feeling scared, overwhelmed, or uncertain.

For this installation, that meant selecting imagery that reflected the beauty of North Georgia: quiet forests, flowing water, wildflowers, open skies, soft light filtering through trees. Landscapes that feel familiar. Images that offer a subtle reminder of home, even in a clinical setting.

When nature art for hospitals reflects the landscape surrounding the building, it becomes part of the care team.

A long-term vision, realized

The opening of CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital North Georgia represents something bigger than expanded medical access for the region. It’s the realization of a decades-long community vision: a facility designed to meet the current needs and future growth of the surrounding community.

If you’re planning a healthcare facility, hospital renovation, or medical center design project, we’d love to be part of the conversation.

Whether you’re looking for a fully curated art program, guidance on substrates and art placement, or just want to explore what’s possible, we’re here for all of it.

Let’s talk. Because bringing nature indoors is the best way to make art part of your care team.