
The Arts & Health Initiative recognizes the arts as a powerful tool to enhance the health and well-being of our communities. One of the goals in our Vision 2030 Strategic Plan is to mobilize artists, culture bearers, creative workers, and community-centered arts and culture with other aligned sectors to develop public policies where arts and culture serve as drivers of community health and economic development.


We envision a future where California’s communities are both creative and healthy, with arts and cultural participation embraced as an essential component of preventative health and holistic well-being. We believe arts participation should be a recognized health behavior within the social determinants of health (SDoH) framework, fostering equitable access to creative experiences that improve mental and physical well-being, reduce health disparities, and strengthen social connections.

Celebrate Arts & Health Month this November! Explore our Arts & Health Month Toolkit for practical ideas, resources, and ready-to-use materials to help you get involved. Learn the ins and outs of the toolkit during our upcoming "Arts & Health Toolkit Launch" webinar on Wednesday, September 30th from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm PT.
Learn MoreWe would like to acknowledge artists, culture bearers, creative workers, and community-based arts and culture organizations as they have been serving as health and wellness practitioners for generations. We understand that while the conversations around arts and health may seem new, these practices have been deeply rooted in diverse communities worldwide.


Curated by CA for the Arts, browse all the resources we have compiled relating to Arts & Health and Advocacy.

Browse our catalog of our Arts & Health webinars and event recordings.

Learn about advocacy campaigns, position statements, policy priorities, and legislative updates.
Goals

Raise awareness of the health benefits, community impact, and innovative strategies for arts and health initiatives through developing and sharing resources.

Curate opportunities for cross-sector conversations between artists, health workers, and lawmakers with programming and events to influence advocacy efforts.

Amplify the collective voice of the arts and health field to influence lawmakers and advance policies, programs, and investments that recognize arts and culture as essential to the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
Successfully campaigned for the state to recognize and celebrate the arts by declaring April as Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month (ACCM) through a concurrent resolution passed in the California Senate.
Began socializing conversations at the interaction of arts and health with a social media campaign and webinars with press coverage.
Additional resolution was declared to recognize artists as second responders.
Held annually on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, UNGA Healing Arts Week is a dynamic program of events celebrating innovative approaches to global health and well-being through the arts. Learn More
Founded in 2022, the Visual Arts in Healthcare Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (VAH@BWH) is a national leader in the application of visual arts to train healthcare professionals. VAH@BWH’s mission is to develop and advance visual arts-based learning experiences to cultivate empathetic, resourceful, and collaborative healthcare teams to improve patient care. Our programs help build the core skills of the healthcare professional, including detailed observation and interpretation, active listening, metacognitive awareness, critical thinking, compassion, and effective bidirectional communication.
Back by popular demand, join us for the second Arts Disaster and Crisis Preparedness Conference! ADCP is a national gathering focused on building readiness, sharing innovative research and practices, and strengthening the arts sector’s ability to respond to crises.
Learn More
Annual NOAH conferences create space to explore timely topics in arts in health, share effective programs and practices across healthcare and community settings, and connect with a growing network to inspire conversation, collaboration, and innovation.
NOAHCON attracts artists of all disciplines, arts administrators, healthcare professionals (administrative and clinical), as well as researchers, creative and expressive arts therapists, designers, educators, students, and anyone with an interest in the transformative impact of the arts on health and wellbeing.
The a2ru national conference is an opportunity for practitioners and researchers from across higher education to share innovations and perspectives in the arts. a2ru advances the full range of arts- and design-integrative research, curricula, programs, and creative practice to acknowledge, articulate, and expand the vital role of higher education in our global society. a2ru’s work, in partnership with an international network of leading higher education institutions, allies, and partners, envisions a world in which universities—students, faculty, and leaders—explore, embed, and integrate the arts in everyday practice and research.
Announcing the Neuroarts Global Summit in Washington, DC, December 2-3, 2026. We’re bringing together global leaders, practitioners, researchers, artists, and policymakers to reflect, celebrate, and shape what’s to come. Save those dates and stay tuned for more information.
Several states have already begun to implement programs that include partnerships between arts agencies, healthcare organizations, and community-based organizations.

California - San Ysidro Health

California - Open Source Wellness

California - Stanford University

New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Illinois - Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events

Massachusetts - Mass Cultural Council

Lousiana - Ashé Cultural Arts Center

National Endowment for the Arts

CA for the Arts’ Arts & Health Initiative is made possible through the support of partners who believe in the power of arts and culture to strengthen health, well-being, and communities across California. We are grateful to our inaugural funder, The Music Man Foundation, whose ongoing support has helped bring this initiative to life and build a foundation for its continued growth.
Interested in funding or partnering with our Arts & Health Initiative? Contact NeFesha@caforthearts.org