• Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 - Arts in Health  - Social Prescription 
  • Arts Pharmacy -  Chris Appleton, CEO 
  • United Way of Southern Maine - Lee Klarman Director, Community Resiliency
  • Mass Cultural Council - Erik Holmgren, Manager of Advancement and Strategic Partnership

• Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 - Arts in Health  - Creative Aging
  • Lifetime Arts - Julie Kline 
  • The Maine Council on Aging - Meriah Hope 

• Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 - Arts in Health - Youth & Mental Health 

• Friday, Mar. 20, 2026 - Arts in Health - Community Arts & Public Health

In-Person Convening

• Friday, April 10, 2026 (1-5pm) - In-person convening at MaineHealth Community Health & Wellness, Brunswick.

Arts in health—sometimes called arts in medicine or arts in healthcare—is a diverse, multidisciplinary field dedicated to enhancing health and the healthcare experience through creative expression. It integrates literary, performing, and visual arts, design, and other forms of creativity into healthcare and community settings to improve health and well-being.

Research shows the arts help treat Alzheimer’s, substance use disorders, chronic pain, and depression, while reducing isolation and loneliness. For example, a recent eClinicalMedicine study found that social isolation and loneliness significantly increase risks for type 2 diabetes, dementia, heart disease, stroke, and premature death—risks comparable to smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have similarly highlighted the profound health risks of social isolation, an issue particularly relevant in Maine, which has the nation’s oldest population and significant rural access challenges. 

“The arts play a vital role in addressing challenges by fostering community connection, promoting healthy lifestyle habits, reducing stress, and building resilience,” said Maine Arts Commission Executive Director Amy Hausmann. “Creativity is essential to health—it serves as a bridge connecting generations, communities, and regions. These roundtables are designed to inspire, provide resources, and foster new connections, creating a space to explore the possibilities in Maine if the arts and health sectors collaborate. By partnering with community wellness organizations, libraries, YMCAs, recreation programs, retirement communities, funders, schools, and state agencies, we can weave creative activities into daily life, strengthening well-being across the state.”