UF programs in arts, health care to be presented on Capitol Hill

October 9, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida College of Fine Arts will feature the Center for Arts in Medicine during a special program Wednesday at Florida House on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

“A Conversation on the Arts and Healthcare” will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. with a reception to follow.

The event will convene national leadership to discuss the growth of the UF program as a model in the field and potential for expansion of the program in partnership with a variety of agencies. The program will present the work of the UF Center for Arts in Medicine, an international leader in education, research and outreach in the field of arts in health care.

Speakers include Jill Sonke, director of the Center for Arts in Medicine and assistant director of Shands Arts in Medicine; Gay Hanna, executive director of the National Center for Creative Aging; Anita Boles, executive director of the Society for Arts in Healthcare; and Tina Mullen, director of Shands Arts in Medicine. The event will be moderated by Florida-based author and artist Janeen Mason. A passionate arts advocate, Mason served on the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, where she had been appointed by two Senate presidents. She serves on the board of directors of Citizens for Florida Arts and as secretary of the Friends of the Blake Library in Stuart, Fla. Special guest speakers include Randy Cohen and Bob Lynch of Americans for the Arts, Ouida Maedel and Emily Theys of Dance Exchange, Beth Bienvenu of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Tina Lassiter of the National Institute for Health.

The University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine features Arts in Healthcare for Rural Communities, reaching more than 32 counties in Florida and across the country; Dance for Life and Sing for Life programs for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers; and AIM for Africa, creating cultural bridges between the arts and health care in the U.S. and African nations. Through its programs, curriculum, research and outreach, the Center for Arts in Medicine demonstrates that the arts deeply affect individual and community health.
The program is presented at the Florida House on Capitol Hill as an ideal venue to convene leaders around issues that are of vital concern nationally but in particular the state of Florida. The Florida House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides cultural, social, educational and economic resources, showcases Florida’s culture and diversity, maintains and operates Florida House and provides opportunities for Florida residents to enrich their appreciation and knowledge of our nation’s government.

For more information on the College of Fine Arts and Shands Arts in Medicine Program visit www.arts.ufl.edu/cam/ and http://artsinmedicine.ufandshands.org/.

For more information on the Florida House on Capitol Hill visit: http://floridaembassy.com/.