Arts in Health is a multidisciplinary field of practice, education, and research at the intersection of arts and health. Anecdotally, we’ve all experienced the benefits of engaging with the arts—a song that brings us joy or calm, a poem or story that helps us make meaning, a performance that brings together a community. There is a developing body of evidence that shows that, like exercise and good nutrition, the arts are beneficial for our physical and mental health. In fact, arts participation is now understood to be a health behavior and a social determinant of health.
Building on a growing field of Arts in Health across the country and around the world, Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers School of Public Health, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center have joined in an interdisciplinary partnership to launch the Arts in Health Research Lab. This unique partnership between a major public research university and a celebrated performing arts center is the first of its kind in the nation.
The goals of the Arts in Health Research Lab are to perform Arts in Health research that benefits populations across the state of New Jersey, innovate new research strategies including arts-based research methods and art-as-data collection, and establish a research plan to assess the health impact of NJPAC and Mason Gross arts experiences and programs.
Examining the Implementation of Polestar Pilates Programming for Racially/Ethnically and Socioeconomically Diverse High School Students in New Jersey Public Schools
Frederick Curry and Devin English
$10,000
Addressing HIV-related Stigma through Photovoice
Ashley Grosso and Jacqueline Thaw
$10,000
HIV/AIDS and Survivorship: Developing Positive Health Outcomes and Resilience through an Embodied Oral History Workshop and Performance
Jeff Friedman, Kristen Krause, and Stephanie Shiau
$10,000
Notice Nature: An Art-Science Collaboration in Support of Student Wellness
Mary Nucci, Jacqueline Thaw, Lena Struwe, Rebecca Cypess, Margaret Swarbick, Dee Magnoni
$50,000 Chancellor-Provost Challenge: Toward the Common Good Grant
New Jersey Arts in Health Mapping Study
Collects information on Arts in Health activities in New Jersey
Aly Maier Lokuta and Rebecca Cypess
New Jersey Arts in Wellbeing Indicators Study
Examines how the arts are related to individual and community wellbeing
Aly Maier Lokuta and Rebecca Cypess
Do you have an idea for a collaborative project or are interested in co-writing a grant? Are you interested in staying informed about what is happening with Arts in Health in the community?
Are you interested in volunteering for Arts in Health research or education projects, either remotely, at NJPAC or on campus?
If you're interested in joining the Arts in Health Research Lab email listserv and receive periodic updates about our work, or have any questions, please reach out to the Lab Coordinator at artshealthlab@rutgers.edu.