Exploring and Building the Intersections of the Arts and Public Health in America

Presented by the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine
In partnership with ArtPlace America and the National Organization for Arts in Health

October 7, 2018
Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas
by invitation

Over the past several decades, evidence has mounted to demonstrate that the arts have positive and measurable impacts on individual and community health. Since 2004, arts programs have been documented at approximately half of accredited healthcare institutions in the United States. This prevalence has led to the development of a recognized professional field, as well as to the development of an academic discipline that supports education and research in the field. As a result, healthcare systems today widely embrace and utilize the arts as a means for enhancing health outcomes and healthcare systems.

Today, as our national health system struggles to meet the needs of larger and older populations, a heightened emphasis on disease prevention, wellness, placemaking and community-level health has emerged. Healthy People 2020, the national interagency framework for public health, emphasizes that the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play impact a wide range of health risks and outcomes. Healthy People 2020 prioritizes the creation of social and physical environments that promote good health.

Concurrently, creative placemaking initiatives across the United States have demonstrated that the arts are a powerful means for strengthening the social and physical environments in communities; yet the public health sector has not yet fully embraced creative placemaking, or the arts in general, as resources for addressing the national public health agenda. Over the past several decades, evidence has mounted to demonstrate that the arts have positive and measurable impacts on individual and community health, yet their applications are under-investigated and inconsistently recognized in the public health sector. As a result, the arts remain a readily available, yet highly underutilized resource in public health.

At the present moment, the arts are poised to transform public health as they have healthcare in recent years. With the overarching goal of creating stronger and healthier communities through the arts, a national initiative has been launched to bridge the arts and public health sectors through a strategic process of discovery, collaboration, translation, and dissemination.

The time has come for the arts to transform public health as they have healthcare in recent years. Recognizing that a tipping point is near, a national initiative is being launched and we invite you to be a part.

With the overarching goal of creating stronger and healthier communities through the arts, this gathering of minds is intended to bridge the arts, creative placemaking, community-building, and public health sectors and accelerate the development of a field of arts in public health through strategic discovery, collaboration, translation and action.

It’s time to join together to shape the future!

Who will be a part of the gathering:

This invitation-only convening will include artists, placemakers, designers, educators, researchers, practitioners, and those with passion related to:

The arts, public health, healthcare, community development, creative placemaking and wellbeing.

What to expect:

In a highly energized format, your voice and vision will be heard. Our dialogue will be inspired by short presentations, provocations and performances, and together we will design action.

FAQ:

Please click here to read our frequently asked questions document.

Expect a structured, fun, action-oriented process in which you and other creative, knowledgeable leaders will envision and mobilize transformative ideas.