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UF Center for Arts in Medicine

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UF Center for Arts in Medicine

Connect, learn, & create with the UF Center for Arts in Medicine. Let's use the arts to create a healthier world.

The Center was proposed and became operational in 1996, following the development of the nation’s first university-level coursework in the arts in healthcare by the Center’s co-directors at UF in 1995. Its founding co-directors were Dr. John Graham-Pole, Dr. Rusti Brandman, and Jill Sonke. The Center for Arts in Medicine was formally established by the Florida Board of Regents at the University of Florida in 1999. The Center grew from the groundbreaking clinical work of the UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine program and serves as the academic, research and outreach component of the partner programs. Housed in the College of the Arts, the Center’s mission is three-fold, encompassing education and training in the use of the arts to enhance health, research of the arts in medicine, and outreach to promote art and creativity as catalysts for healthy lifestyles. The Center provides a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration among University of Florida faculty and students, healthcare providers, clinical artists, and the local and global communities. Through its programming and curriculum, the Center serves as a national and international model for arts in medicine research, education, and programming. Since 1996, UF’s arts in medicine curriculum has grown to include the Master of Arts (MA) in Arts in Medicine, graduate certificates in Arts in Medicine and Arts in Public Health, and undergraduate certificates in Arts in Medicine, Dance in Medicine, and Music in Medicine. These programs and over 25 courses serve students who are interested in building careers that engage the arts in promoting health and wellness in healthcare and community settings. The Center's faculty engage in research to develop an evidence base for the many applications of the arts in healthcare and public health, and mentor students in outreach programs including service-learning and study abroad. For more information about the Center, please visit our website at arts.ufl.edu/cam/ or contact us: cam@arts.ufl.edu or 352-273-1488.

04/15/2026

Spring into new ideas at the intersection of creativity and health 🌿🎨✨

The April edition of our Arts in Health Today newsletter is here—featuring fresh research, upcoming events, and opportunities to deepen your practice this season.

🔗 This month’s issue is full of insights to explore and share: https://mailchi.mp/arts/artsinhealthtoday_april2026-9315055

This month features:
UF College of the Arts
UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine
One Nation/One Project
Arts For EveryBody
National Organization for Arts in Health
Peabody Institute Of John Hopkins
UCL
University of Glasgow
Levine Children's
Rutgers Cancer Institute
U.S. Department of Arts and Culture
Reasons to be Cheerful
The Guardian
Elevate Theatre Company

Stay connected—subscribe now and keep up with discoveries, innovations, and opportunities in the field. ➡️ http://eepurl.com/dHHvyX

04/14/2026

🎥 Missed Webinar 3 in our Arts in Health series? Watch the replay on YouTube!

Featuring practitioners and researchers at the intersection of arts and health, this conversation highlights real-world programs using dance, visual art, and community-based initiatives to reduce social isolation, encourage behavior change, and build resilience across the lifespan.

✨ Learn how creativity supports better health outcomes
✨ Explore the role of equity and cross-sector collaboration
✨ Discover sustainable, community-driven approaches

Whether you're an artist, healthcare professional, researcher, or simply curious about innovative approaches to wellness, this webinar offers valuable insights into building healthier, more connected communities.

Watch now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqPFdS4xxH4&t=2382s

UF College of the Arts, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine

04/13/2026

Why do the arts have such a powerful impact on mental health?

New research published in Nature Reviews Psychology suggests that arts engagement works through a complex network of interconnected processes, rather than a single mechanism. These include emotional expression, cognitive stimulation, stress regulation, and social connection.

Importantly, these effects are transdiagnostic, supporting wellbeing across a wide range of mental health conditions as well as everyday experiences—not only within clinical contexts. The study also introduces the concept of the “arts exposome,” highlighting how cumulative, day-to-day interactions with the arts may shape long-term mental health outcomes.

These findings reinforce a growing evidence base: the arts play a meaningful role in holistic health and wellbeing.

🔗 Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44159-026-00545-2

UCL, Nature

04/09/2026

Interested in a career in arts in health? Join the Arts in Health Graduate Program Path to Practice Info Session 📚🎓

Learn about the Master of Arts, Graduate Certificate, and Combination Program at the UF Center for Arts in Medicine, including curriculum, student experience, and career pathways in healthcare, public health, and community settings.

Hear insights from program leaders and faculty including Anna Carapellotti, Lecturer; Ferol Carytsas, Director and Senior Lecturer; and Heather Spooner, Associate Scholar, and get your questions answered!

🗓️ Tuesday, April 28th
⏰ 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
🔗 Register for free here: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/2017757564529/WN_jogdCnpVS4-XZRhub9WtEQ

UF College of the Arts

04/08/2026

Ready. Set. Action. 🎬 This National Public Health Week, we’re sharing moments that show how health happens in community.

Through Alex Rodriguez, a UF Public Health PhD candidate and Center research associate, we see how the arts bring people together right here in Gainesville—from shared spaces like The Ox and creative experiences that foster connection and belonging.

Emerging research from the Center shows that engaging in the arts—like attending events, creating, or participating in community spaces—can support real-time wellbeing, helping people feel more connected, less stressed, and more present in their daily lives.

Public health is more than policies and programs—it’s people. And when public health professionals partner with artists and cultural organizations, they help build stronger, more socially connected communities.

💛 Explore our research to learn how arts engagement can be a practical, evidence-based strategy for supporting community health: https://direct.mit.edu/leon/article/58/6/582/133635/Relationships-Between-Arts-Participation-Social

UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine, UF College of the Arts, American Public Health Association

04/07/2026

Art Became the Oxygen: An Artistic Response Guide 🫁🎨

In moments of disaster and community-wide emergency, creative expression can offer space for reflection, connection, and healing. Art Became the Oxygen: An Artistic Response Guide explores how artists, cultural workers, and community leaders have used the arts to respond to crisis and support collective resilience.

The guide highlights a range of arts-based approaches—from creative documentation and storytelling to participatory and community-centered artistic practices—demonstrating how the arts can help communities process experiences, amplify voices, and foster meaningful dialogue during difficult times.

We invite you to explore the guide to learn more about how arts-based practices can support communities in times of disruption and recovery, and to discover examples of creative responses that emerged from real-world moments of crisis.

🔗 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8TOgF0LhVwxNU9RQzBLdlpTcGs/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-qSq0LcMmrtNXXoR02u_IuA

U.S. Department of Arts and Culture

04/06/2026

📸 Photo Open Call | Illuminating Care | How can art reveal what is felt, sensed, and lived within intensive care?

This project invites photographers, artists, healthcare professionals, researchers, students, patients, and caregivers to submit photo and graphic works that explore the human, sensory, and technological realities of intensive care environments.

Moving beyond clinical documentation, this project reimagines intensive care as more than a biomedical space—it is an emotional and relational landscape shaped by vulnerability, compassion, interdependence, and the unseen labor of caregiving.

We welcome documentary or conceptual works that explore themes such as:
💡 The five senses in intensive care
💻 Human–machine relationships and care technologies
🖼️ The spatial and emotional landscapes of care
🫂 Compassion, dignity, recovery, and end-of-life
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Family presence and absence
⏰ Time, uncertainty, and resilience

Selected works will be curated for inclusion in the upcoming book Arts in Intensive Care, led by Mark ZY Tan and Michael Koon Boon Tan.

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2026
📩 Submit to: mtan@nafa.edu.sg
📌 Include up to 3 images, titles, and a 150–250 word artist statement.

UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine, UF Health

04/04/2026

Grief Camp offers more than support—it creates space for healing through creativity, connection, and nature. 💛

Haven Hospice offers free bereavement camps for children and youth ages 5-18 and their families after the death of a loved one through art, music, journaling, and guided nature hikes. These experiences, led by Haven professionals and volunteers, help participants express emotions, build coping skills, and find comfort in knowing they are not alone on their journey. 🌿🎨

Free and open to families navigating loss. Space is limited, so please register by calling the Healing Hearts Grief Line at 844-544-4836 or filling out the online registration form at HavenHospice.com/Camp

UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine, UF Health, SPARC 352, UF Center for Arts, Migration + Entrepreneurship, City of Gainesville, FL - Government

04/03/2026

Welcome to the team, Michelle Wilder Rivers! ✨

We’re excited to introduce our new Graduate Recruitment Specialist, who brings a passion for higher education, the arts, and community building to the Center. Michelle is looking forward to expanding awareness of graduate opportunities while helping advance the field of arts in health—and celebrating the incredible work of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni along the way.

Join us in giving Michelle a warm welcome to the Center for Arts in Medicine! 💙

04/02/2026

A new article from Reasons to be Cheerful highlights how creative practices are increasingly recognized as powerful tools for health, and spotlights the groundbreaking work happening at UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine.

At UF Health, artists work alongside clinicians to support patients through music, visual arts, movement, and storytelling- often through referrals written directly into patient charts. In 2025 alone, the program facilitated more than 13,000 arts engagements with patients, demonstrating how creativity can complement medical care and help people find connection, meaning, and relief during difficult moments.

We’re proud to see this work recognized as part of a growing movement showing that access to the arts can be a powerful determinant of health and wellbeing. 🎨

Read the story here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/art-for-health/

04/01/2026

New research from the UF Center for Arts in Medicine examines a national initiative One Nation/One Project from 🎨 The results showed how arts participation can strengthen social connection, which may be a key pathway to improving wellbeing in communities!

Researchers found that engaging in the arts helps build trust, belonging, and social bonds — all critical factors for individual and community health. This research provides an evidence-based framework to embed arts engagement into community health programming.

As the field of arts in public health grows, this work offers a compelling case for cross-sector collaboration, investment in community-based arts initiatives, and the integration of the arts at the system level.

🔗 Explore the full report here: https://direct.mit.edu/leon/article/58/6/582/133635/Relationships-Between-Arts-Participation-Social

Arts For EveryBody

03/31/2026

Wrapping up March with our newest Arts in Health Today resource round-up! ✨ Explore helpful articles and practical tools designed to inspire your work and strengthen your impact in the arts in health field.

Featured Resources:
🎨 UCL Social Biobehavioural Research Group | New Youth Social Prescribing Best Practices Guidelines
🎶 National Academy for Social Prescribing | Social Prescribing for Youth Training Course
🎭 Social Prescribing Advocates | Resource Hub
🩰 New Scientist Article | How To Extend & Improve Your Life by Getting More Creative
🖼️ Next Avenue Article | Art Might Be The Cure For What Ails You

🔗 Find them all linked here: https://linktr.ee/ufcam

Stay in the loop—subscribe to get the latest updates delivered straight to your inbox each month 📬 http://eepurl.com/dHHvyX

Address

720 SW 2nd Avenue , Suite 208, South Tower
Gainesville, FL
32601

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13522731488

Website

https://arts.ufl.edu/academics/center-for-arts-in-medicine/

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