The UofM Institute for the Arts and Health
Dear Colleagues,
We are delighted to share with you the news that the University of Memphis has announced the establishment of the Institute for the Arts and Health, ushering in an exciting new effort to bridge the arts, humanities, social sciences, digital technologies, and STEM areas. The overall aim is to contribute to a more diverse and equitable society by incubating and seeking funding for transdisciplinary research and community engagement broadly related to the arts and health. We are currently focusing on three interrelated areas:
- Arts Initiatives for Health in the Community
- Health, Well Being and the Built Environment
- Health for Artists
Moving forward, it is vital that the Institute for Arts and Health ensures a diverse
constituency and leadership team for the newly inaugurated Institute, and proactively
engages with our community about its projects and opportunities to participate. Our
meetings are open to anyone interested in the Arts and Health. If you are not already
on our mailing list and would like to stay apprised of forthcoming meetings and news,
please contact artsandhealth@memphis.edu.
Overview of The University of Memphis Institute for Arts and Health
A growing interest in arts and health initiatives within the higher education sector, both nationally and internationally, combined with the ongoing pursuit of high-profile research has led to the creation of The University of Memphis Arts and Health Initiative. The initiative, led by Dr. Anne Hogan in collaboration with colleagues at the university and throughout the Memphis community, was launched in spring 2018, and achieved institute status in spring of 2021. Its aim is to facilitate opportunities for faculty, staff, graduate students and community partners to share best practices, as well as explore opportunities to develop and secure funding for interdisciplinary research projects broadly related to the arts and health while contributing to a more diverse and equitable society.
1. Flourishing Together : Arts Initiatives for Health in the Community
The Arts Initiatives for Health in the Community focus area aims to promote engaging scholarship by seeking out opportunities to improve health and wellbeing for the community through collaborative efforts alongside artists. This focus area is primarily dedicated to research centered around creative arts therapy and the study of how things like music, dance, puppetry and theater can aid in expression.
The Arts Initiatives for Health in the Community focus area employs a multidisciplinary approach, encompassing a wide range of departments that includes representatives from the fields of psychology, social work, anthropology, nursing, the visual and performing arts, as well as partners in the arts such as the Memphis Music Initiative.
The Arts Initiatives for Health in the Community focus area works on a range of projects. Dr. Susan Elswick, for instance, works to provide additional mental health-related training to instructors in collaboration with Dr. Gregory Washington, Full Professor with the School of Social Work and Coordinator of the Hooks African-American Male Initiative/Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, and the Director of Center for the Advancement of Youth Development (CAYD). Together, Washington and Elswick are working to identify and support specific needs in the Mid-South community.
2. We Are Where We Are : Health, Wellbeing and the Built Environment
The Health, Wellbeing and the Built Environment focus area, which is spearheaded by professor Jenna Thompson with the University of Memphis Department of Architecture, looks at ways that an environment or space can be improved to affect overall health or increase the wellbeing of an individual.
These subtle changes can be as small as adjusting the lighting of a room or the color of paint on the wall, both of which have been shown to increase the psychological and physical health of individuals in certain living spaces and public areas. In addition to accessible areas that encourage active lifestyles, Thompson said the one of the most significant environmental factors that negatively affect individuals relates to how we source our energy, namely with fossil fuels. The Health, Wellbeing and the Built Environment focus area also focuses on research interests geared toward social and environmental sustainability in relation to the built environment, including prototype projects like tiny homes for veterans or homeless individuals.
Through the Health, Wellbeing and the Built Environment focus area, Thompson has worked alongside several local personalities to build momentum for the Health, Wellbeing and the Built Environment focus area, including Marian Levy, Associate Dean and Professor with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Andy Kitsinger, former director of planning and development for the Memphis Center City Commission; and Michael Chisamore, Director of Interior Architecture and Director of the Center for Sustainable Design.
3. Enriching Creativity : Health for Artists
The Health Initiatives for Artists focus area aims to instill healthy habits in artists through education on proper physical and mental practices with a focus on potential collaborations between health professionals and artists.
With an emphasis on mental health in addition to physical health, the Health Initiatives for Artists focus area focuses on instilling an artist's understanding of their own body and abilities to prevent overexertion, which could lead to burnout. Ongoing research includes a study centered around observing the physical and mental cost of certain activities and learning how to properly compensate for those expenditures. However, there are other, more subtle solutions that require informed training as a care provider. To achieve this, Dr. Miriam van Mersbergen and her Health Initiatives for Artists focus area have worked alongside individuals like UofM faculty member Dr. Robyn Jones to develop meditation courses and instill behaviors that allow the artist to get back in touch with who they are as a whole individual.