AMHERST, Mass. — On April 10, the Fine Arts Center at UMass will bring together artists, healthcare practitioners, policymakers, researchers and community leaders from across Massachusetts for a full-day convening on arts, health and wellbeing. Art for the Common Good runs from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the UMass Student Union and is free with pre-registration.
Through engaging conversations, fresh research and real-world stories, convening participants will explore the ways in which arts and creativity can support healing, build stronger communities, and advance whole-person wellbeing.
As the Fine Arts Center celebrates its 50th anniversary season, the convening builds on the organization’s longstanding commitment to positioning artists as leaders and problem solvers in society. It also reflects the Fine Arts Center’s recent expansion into the wellbeing space. The Fine Arts Center’s efforts to date have included initiatives at the University Museum of Contemporary Art that engage nursing students in using art in their healthcare practices; and partnerships with campus wellbeing and student affairs departments to increase awareness of arts and wellbeing.
“This convening reflects a growing recognition that the arts are not supplemental to our wellbeing—they are essential to it,” said Jamilla Deria, director of the Fine Arts Center. “At a time when communities are seeking new ways to address isolation, stress, and public health challenges, artists offer powerful tools for connection, healing, and meaning-making. Art for the Common Good is about bringing together leaders across sectors to explore how we can embed the arts more deeply into the systems that shape our health and our lives.”
The convening draws specifically on the concept of “neuroarts,” popularized in 2019 by the launch of the NeuroArts Blueprint, a partnership aiming to formalize the field by studying how artistic experiences scientifically affect the brain and body to improve health and wellbeing.
Attendees at Art for the Common Good will connect with peers advancing arts-based approaches to individual, public and community health; hear artists’ stories; learn the latest research, policies and effective practices linking arts and wellbeing; and gain tools to implement arts initiatives in healthcare and community programs.
The convening will open with a keynote by Jill Sonke — research director at the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, and a key voice in popularizing the concept of neuroarts — on the growing value of arts prescribing programs. Sonke will present evidence demonstrating the physical, mental and social health benefits of arts participation, and will explore how research is shaping arts prescribing practice models and policies.
The day will also feature two panel conversations providing additional insight into research and policy shaping the field. The first panel will bring attention to the neuroarts network and research taking place throughout the state. It will be moderated by Jean King, endowed professor of biology and biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Kirk Taylor, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center president and CEO.
The second panel will focus on how cross-agency policies can support evidence-informed approaches to community wellbeing, connecting the day’s conversations to actionable pathways forward. It will be moderated by Erik Holmgren, manager of advancement and strategic partnerships at Mass Cultural Council. The panelists are Robbie Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Eliza Lake, director of health policy and strategic initiatives for the Office for Health and Human Services; and Emily Devlin, head of strategic partnerships and clinical innovation at SocialRx.
Tasha Golden, a singer/songwriter turned behavioral scientist who partnered in the creation of Mass Cultural Council’s Culture Rx program, will lead an inspirational closing conversation on “The Healing Power of Curiosity.”
Remarks will also be offered by UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes, Massachusetts state Senator Jo Comerford, state Representative Mindy Domb, and Fine Arts Center Director Jamilla Deria.
Art for the Common Good is supported by a Barr Foundation grant.
A full schedule, more information, and a registration link can be found at umassarts.org/convening
About the Fine Arts Center
The Fine Arts Center is the multidisciplinary arts and innovation hub of the University of Massachusetts, supporting the development of students and artists and enhancing the cultural life of western Massachusetts. Since its founding in 1975, the UMass Fine Arts Center has been a central force in the cultural, social and academic life of the university, the Five College campuses, and the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. The Fine Arts Center’s combination of educational, visual and performing arts programs not only makes the organization unique, but it also secures a very vital and necessary position to meet the diverse needs of scholars, faculty, students, alumni and the broader community.