Instead of my usual stories about the wonderful people we serve, today I want to write about the wonderful people who serve. Last week I attended the bimonthly meeting of the Midwest Art in Healthcare Network (MAIHN) and had the opportunity to meet amazing artists who have dedicated their lives to using their gifts to help others in healthcare settings.
Dancers, painters, potters, jewelry makers, spoken word artists, photographers and more came together to share their experiences and develop plans for integrating their art with healing in settings like children’s hospitals, nursing homes, hospice programs, adult and child day care centers. In addition to working directly with clients and patients, teaching artists and therapists work together to promote an understanding of the importance of the arts in healthcare to government agencies, foundations and the general public. As more and more studies are done that clearly demonstrate the transformative power of the arts, we hope that more funding will be available to bring these programs to all the people for whom they would benefit. And MAIHN is doing its part to make that happen!
Faith
