What We're Reading: Arts Foundation and Health Department Partner on Upcoming Art and Wellness Events
From Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona: The Pima County Health Department and the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona are partnering on a series of five free art and wellness events this September and October to promote community healing through art.
These family-friendly “Celebrate SaludArte” events will bring together public art and public health and feature community-inspired artwork, live performances, food trucks, raffles for prizes, and health resources. Artists also will unveil their temporary art installations at each celebration, which will be held in each of Pima County’s five supervisory districts.
SaludArte is a collaborative project between the Health Department and the Arts Foundation to find ways in which community engagement, health, and art can intersect to amplify the voices and experiences of the community, while also helping to increase health equity, access, literacy and COVID-19 mitigation across the region.
“I’m excited that public health and the arts community are working together, and I hope that this is only the beginning of a strong collaboration,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, Pima County Health director. “Health happens everywhere! And art initiatives are a powerful means to reflect our community values, strengths, and resilience, as well as elevate the voices of diverse cultures, communities, and groups.”
A central focus of the SaludArte program is promoting community healing through art. A community-driven panel in each of Pima County’s five supervisory districts selected the artists to translate their stories and hopes into a temporary art installation.