Thank you to the many people who have been blog contributors to, and readers of ArtsBlog over the years. ArtsBlog has long been a space where we uplifted stories from the field that demonstrated how the arts strengthen our communities socially, educationally, and economically; where trends and issues and controversies were called out; and advocacy tools were provided to help you make the case for more arts funding and favorable arts policies.

As part of Americans for the Arts’ recent Strategic Realignment Process, we were asked to evaluate our storytelling communications platforms and evolve the way we share content. As a result, we launched the Designing Our Destiny portal to explore new ways of telling stories and sharing information, one that is consistent with our longtime practice of, “No numbers without a story, and no stories without a number.”

As we put our energy into developing this platform and reevaluate our communications strategies, we have put ArtsBlog on hold. That is, you can read past blog posts, but we are not posting new ones. You can look to the Designing Our Destiny portal and our news items feed on the Americans for the Arts website for stories you would have seen in ArtsBlog in the past.

ArtsBlog will remain online through this year as we determine the best way to archive this valuable resource and the knowledge you’ve shared here.

As ever, we are grateful for your participation in ArtsBlog and thank you for your work in advancing the arts. It is important, and you are important for doing it.

The following State of the Field Report offers information about progress in the field since the symposium, which resulted in recommendations and a strategic direction to advance the arts in healthcare.

A March 2003 symposium, hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, brought together 40 experts in medicine, the arts, social services, media, business, and government to develop a strategic plan for advancing cultural programming in healthcare. The strategic plan aimed to help advocates raise awareness of the benefits of arts in healthcare, better document and disseminate research demonstrating its value, move toward a national funding base, and develop adequate training to educate and train healthcare workers and administrators (NEA, 2003). The participants in this landmark symposium included representatives from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, the American Hospital Association, Johns Hopkins University, Americans for the Arts, National Institute on Aging, and The Joint Commission.

Arts in Healthcare is a diverse, multidisciplinary field dedicated to transforming the healthcare experience by connecting people with the power of the arts at key moments in their lives. This rapidly growing field integrates the arts, including literary, performing, and visual arts and design, into a wide variety of healthcare and community settings for therapeutic, educational, and expressive purposes.

Report
Judy Rollins, Judy; Sonke, Jill; Cohen, Randy; Boles, Anita; and Li, Jiahan
33 p.
January, 2009
File Title: 
Arts in Healthcare
Publisher Reference: 
Arts and Health Alliance (formerly Society for the Arts in Healthcare and Global Alliance for Arts & Health) (defunct)
Research Abstract
Is this an Americans for the Arts Publications: 
No
Is CAC: 
No
Image Thumbnail of Pub Cover: 
2009
Is AHA: 
Yes