Snapshot
- Hometown: Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
- Favorite Food: Chocolate
- Movie Pick: Better Off Dead
- Hobby: Cycling
- Childhood Dream: To be an artist (dream achieved!)
- Motto: "Live with more art."
Meet John
John Lange leads the Arts Program at Cedars-Sinai, where he helps bring creativity and color into the hospital environment. He works with artists, curators, and staff to fill hallways, waiting rooms, and patient spaces with art that inspires calm, hope, and connection.
John's work shows that art does more than decorate a room. It can comfort patients, energize staff, and make people feel seen and understood. His goal is to make Cedars-Sinai a place where art helps everyone heal in body and mind.
Path After High School
After high school, John took a mix of paths all at once. He went to art school, worked part-time jobs to pay for classes, and explored every creative opportunity he could find. He worked in sculpture and woodshop studios, helped professional artists, and even assisted in his college's technology department, combining art and tech in his projects.
He says those years taught him to be a sponge for learning. Every experience, from framing art to volunteering at museums, gave him skills that now help him manage art collections and design healing spaces. Each small job built a piece of the foundation for the work he does today at Cedars-Sinai.
STEAM in Action
John uses art every day, but he also relies on science, technology, and math more than most people expect. He measures wall spaces, plans installations, and calculates frame dimensions. He uses technology to manage digital art systems and design exhibitions.
He says the most important part of his work is seeing how art connects to healing. Science and art work hand in hand at Cedars-Sinai, showing that creativity can be part of medicine too. His story is a reminder that imagination and precision can work together to make a real difference.
The Best Part of John's Job
John loves watching people experience art in unexpected ways. Whether it is a patient pausing in front of a painting, a doctor smiling at a sculpture on the way to work, or a child pointing out a color they love, those small moments remind him why art matters. He also loves collaborating with artists and colleagues who share his belief that creativity has the power to heal.
Creative Connections
John never expected to work in a hospital, but he says it has been one of the most meaningful surprises of his life. Seeing how patients and families respond to art changed the way he thinks about his own work as an artist.
He reminds students that art is everywhere, not just in galleries or museums. It lives in classrooms, on murals, in music, and even in the way people solve problems together. Creativity is not just a skill. It is a way of seeing the world.
John's Advice for Students
"Never lose your curiosity, your desire to learn, or your drive to create. An old artist friend once told me, 'Don't let life get in the way. Keep making your art.' That advice still guides me today."
Think about something creative that makes you happy — drawing, music, building, photography, or writing. How could you bring more of that into your school, home, or community this week?
