Art Heals

The JSMA’s Art Heals program encompasses a variety of museum-led group activities that employ art activities to promote health, often conducted in partnership with Oregon hospitals and other healthcare organizations. One of the most intriguing, unexpected, and encouraging developments of life under COVID was the dramatic geographical expansion and increased participation in Art Heals programs, such as our Madres Club for Latina moms. After moving the program online, we began seeing participants from around the state, in numbers that were routinely double and triple the size of our pre-COVID on-campus groups. This has raised the fascinating question of whether we should permanently offer this program and some others either solely online, or in some form of hybrid, regardless of health concerns. But, it is clear that for Art Heals, and with some of our public talks and programs, there is a virtual audience that can equal and exceed the audience able and willing to come to our building.