Strengthening Evidence of the Arts' Impact on Health and Healing
Wednesday, October 17, 9:30am – 11:00am
Organized by Sunil Iyengar, director, research & analysis, National Endowment for the Arts.
Presented by Bill O’Brien, senior advisor for program innovation, National Endowment for the Arts; Melissa Walker, arts therapist and healing arts program coordinator, National Intrepid Center of Excellence.
This session showcases two National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) research partnerships designed to illuminate the arts' impacts on health, healing, and quality of life. NEA research director Sunil Iyengar reports results of a National Academies workshop to identify gaps and opportunities for studying health outcomes related to the arts in older adults. Cosponsored by the NEA and the National Institutes of Health, the workshop will produce findings and potential next steps for funders. Bill O'Brien, the NEA's senior advisor for program innovation, joins art therapist Melissa Walker from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to discuss an historic collaboration between the NEA and the U.S. Department of Defense that will investigate the impact of expressive writing and art therapy on warriors confronting war-related traumatic brain injuries and psychological health issues. Both initiatives will improve our ability to assess the efficacy of arts interventions in healthcare settings; each suggests bold new avenues for strategic partnerships among different types of funders.
- National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Arts and Human Development: Framing a National Research Agenda for the Arts, Lifelong Learning, and Individual Well-Being
- National Endowment for the Arts Press Release, “NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman and Rear Admiral Alton L. Stock Announce Operation Homecoming at Walter Reed Military Medical Center: Expressive writing will be part of healing protocol for returning troops”