Mission

The University of Florida Center for the Arts in Medicine is committed to advancing research, education, and practice in arts in health, locally and globally.

Vision

Arts, culture, and health are integral partners in the realization of healthier, more equitable lives for all people everywhere.

Guiding Tenets

Three overarching tenets ground and guide the work and culture of the Center:

• The field of arts in health is built on a broad array of histories and practices at the intersections of the arts, culture and health; therefore, we embrace a broad range of practice in our education, research and practice.
• Each and every life has equal value and potential; therefore, we are committed to justice in our teaching, research and practice.
• We exist to advance evidence-based practice in arts in health; therefore, we seek the integration of teaching, research and practice.

Core Values

Creativity

Creativity: the ability to stay open, adapt, imagine, innovate and change; and to celebrate these as a way of being

• Teach, mentor, and exchange through creative engagement, courageous exploration, curiosity, appreciation and encouragement
• Ask questions that provoke and inspire divergent thinking
• Lean into risk-taking
• Remain curious and cultivate curiosity in students, peers, and collaborations

Excellence

Excellence: the ability to consistently operate and generate high quality, relevant and timely work with integrity and ever-expanding reach

• Prioritize and undertake activities in teaching, research and practice/service that align with the Center’s mission and advance the leading edge in the field
• Collaborate across disciplines internally and externally to ensure evidence-based and highly informed teaching, research and practice/service
• Scale projects in alignment with resources (time, fiscal and other)
• Acknowledge and celebrate faculty, staff, and student achievements
• Ensure that all behaviors reflect the values of the Center, University and field

Justice

Justice: the commitment to actionable steps towards changing conditions, processes and policies in alignment with the belief that all lives have equal value.

• Actively listen, observe and reflect on personal behaviors
• Participate in discussion about the ways our actions serve to communicate our values
• Advocate for inclusion of diverse perspectives that drive action
• Lean actively into discomfort in order to understand and create change anywhere injustice exists or harm has been done
• Use inclusive language
• Participate in the development and implementation of inclusive policies and practices for teaching, research, practice/service, and all professional interaction
• Act in all ways from the viewpoint that all people are able to succeed

Collaboration

Collaboration: the ability to convene in healthy and generative ways

• Maintain presence and full, open, and honest communication by listening deeply and valuing what others share
• Prioritize inclusion and efficiency when working with others, both internally and externally
• Acknowledge and respect the benefits and burdens of collaboration
• Know and communicate the histories of UF and the Arts in Medicine Programs at UF, including its beneficial and harmful impacts
• Establish clear expectations with collaborators and abide by expectations mindfully
• Create and maintain robust connections and visibility through community engagement, partnership, and within-unit interactions

Learn more about the Center for Arts in Medicine

Academic Programs

Explore our academic programs in arts in health! 

Phone: (352) 273-1488

Email: camadmissions@arts.ufl.edu

Contact Us

P.O. Box 115660, Gainesville, FL 32601
Phone: (352) 273-1488
Email: cam@arts.ufl.edu

UF | College of the Arts

The Center for Arts in Medicine in housed in the College of the Arts at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, Florida. The College of the Arts fosters creative activity, scholarly and artistic excellence and innovation across disciplines.  We achieve the university’s mission by training professionals and educating students as artists and scholars while developing their critical thinking and inspiring a culture of curiosity and imagination. 

Established in the College of the Arts in 1996, the Center provides a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration among University of Florida faculty and students, healthcare providers, clinical artists, and our local and global communities. The Center develops and affects interdisciplinary research studies and educational curricula on all levels and serves as a national model for arts in health research, education, and training.

What is Arts in Health?