Mark Gilbert
- Associate Professor
- Unit Coordinator
Additional Information
Biography and Research Activity
Mark Gilbert serves as an Associate Professor of Art and Art History within the School of the Arts at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is actively engaged in UNO's medical humanities program, integrating his research and artistic practice with this interdisciplinary field. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Gilbert graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1991 and has showcased his work at various venues across Europe and North America.
A pivotal moment in his career occurred in 1997 when he accepted a position as artist-in-residence at The Royal London Hospital. During this residency, he collaborated closely with Prof. Iain Hutchison, a maxillofacial surgeon, and his patients to develop a series of artworks that vividly depicted the patients’ experiences throughout their illness, surgical procedures, and subsequent recovery. The resulting exhibition, titled "Saving Faces," debuted at the National Portrait Gallery in London before touring extensively throughout both the UK and North America.
Following this project, Gilbert undertook a two-year residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where he focused on creating images that portrayed patients and caregivers. This investigation utilized portraiture to delve into themes of care and caregiving at the intersection of art and medicine, culminating in the exhibition "Here I am and Nowhere Else: Portraits of Care," which was showcased at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha in 2008.
In 2014, under the mentorship of Dr. Bill Lydiatt, Gilbert obtained his PhD from The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). His dissertation examining the experience of portraiture in clinical settings, particularly as it pertained to both the artist and a select group of head and neck cancer patients. He further pursued the exploration of art and medicine as a Research Associate with the Medical Humanities Program at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Most recently, Gilbert has engaged in a two-year collaboration with Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, a geriatrician, conducting research that employs portraiture to investigate the interaction between patients living with dementia and their caregivers. Additionally, he led the project "Portrait of Covid-19," which explored the experiences of healthcare workers during the pandemic, recruiting participants from diverse locations including Omaha, New York, Houston, and Washington. The resulting collection is now permanently displayed at the headquarters of the American Medical Association in Chicago.
Gilbert has authored numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts and has been extensively interviewed by both medical and lay publications regarding the intersection of art and medicine. Furthermore, he has been invited to serve as guest editor for two issues of the American Medical Association's Journal of Ethics.
Additional Information
Biography and Research Activity
Mark Gilbert serves as an Associate Professor of Art and Art History within the School of the Arts at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is actively engaged in UNO's medical humanities program, integrating his research and artistic practice with this interdisciplinary field. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Gilbert graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1991 and has showcased his work at various venues across Europe and North America.
A pivotal moment in his career occurred in 1997 when he accepted a position as artist-in-residence at The Royal London Hospital. During this residency, he collaborated closely with Prof. Iain Hutchison, a maxillofacial surgeon, and his patients to develop a series of artworks that vividly depicted the patients’ experiences throughout their illness, surgical procedures, and subsequent recovery. The resulting exhibition, titled "Saving Faces," debuted at the National Portrait Gallery in London before touring extensively throughout both the UK and North America.
Following this project, Gilbert undertook a two-year residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where he focused on creating images that portrayed patients and caregivers. This investigation utilized portraiture to delve into themes of care and caregiving at the intersection of art and medicine, culminating in the exhibition "Here I am and Nowhere Else: Portraits of Care," which was showcased at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha in 2008.
In 2014, under the mentorship of Dr. Bill Lydiatt, Gilbert obtained his PhD from The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). His dissertation examining the experience of portraiture in clinical settings, particularly as it pertained to both the artist and a select group of head and neck cancer patients. He further pursued the exploration of art and medicine as a Research Associate with the Medical Humanities Program at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Most recently, Gilbert has engaged in a two-year collaboration with Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, a geriatrician, conducting research that employs portraiture to investigate the interaction between patients living with dementia and their caregivers. Additionally, he led the project "Portrait of Covid-19," which explored the experiences of healthcare workers during the pandemic, recruiting participants from diverse locations including Omaha, New York, Houston, and Washington. The resulting collection is now permanently displayed at the headquarters of the American Medical Association in Chicago.
Gilbert has authored numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts and has been extensively interviewed by both medical and lay publications regarding the intersection of art and medicine. Furthermore, he has been invited to serve as guest editor for two issues of the American Medical Association's Journal of Ethics.