 and the arts can do wonders for a man’s health, including lowering his risk of anxiety and depression. “
“Communities with visible, thoughtful public art thrive because people want to be there. Public art invigorates our sense of place and excites us about where we are. In turn, art bolsters civic fundamentals: pride, economic growth and population retention.”
-OKC artist Romy Owens makes case for further investments in public art.
“The arts give people a creative voice, a path to leadership, a way to express shared values, and to create a shared experience working together toward meaningful outcomes. There is consensus among social scientists, historians, educators, and activists that it is exactly these kinds of experiences that helps to build community. Working in and through the arts becomes another way to help people meet the economic, ecological and social challenges of the future.”
“Donald Urquhart is one of the two Art Co-ordinators for the new Mental Health and Community Facility and in this piece he tells us about his inspirations, and the evidence he draws on, for the value of integrating contemplative aspects of nature within art into the healthcare environment.”
“Beauty and the Brain: A Neural Approach to Aesthetics,” enlists the public as participants in a Johns Hopkins University study that looks at why the human brain is attracted to artwork.
“Research shows that volunteering will help you live longer, and that should be cause enough to make you happy. But there are other reasons as to why volunteering makes you happier… here are 3 leading theories as to why:”
“Mayors, arts and cultural policy-makers and economic developers would be better served by taking a more localized, place-specific approach to arts initiatives.”
“But it is really since the 1980s that the links between art and health have been seriously explored. Today a growing number of patients, health and social care professionals, researchers, policy makers, architects and planners recognise that the arts are integral to health.”
“In the process of seeing a painting, the image is formed when the light enters the
eyes and is converted into an electrical signal which is taken by the optic nerve to
other regions of the brain. The image is then reconstructed into motion, depth,
colours and forms.”
“Promoting workers’ well-being isn’t just ethical; it makes economic sense. Fostering positive inner lives sometimes requires leaders to better articulate meaning in the work for everyone across the organization.”