The Art of Wellbeing

Art plays a crucial role in promoting the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Studies and surveys conducted over the past few decades in the fields of health, psychology and art therapy have shown a strong link between close engagement with art and improved mental and physical wellbeing. 

While there is growing recognition that art is a powerful healing modality—indeed, in recent years we have seen the rise of numerous expressive therapy programs where art, dance, music and other creative activities are used to help individuals process emotions—formal infrastructure that can connect art to those who need it the most is still in its infancy.

Recognizing this need in the Greater Vancouver region, the Vancouver Art Gallery is launching its Art of Wellbeing lab, a pilot project that seeks to benefit the wellbeing of community members through the arts by leveraging an established ecosystem of researchers, scientists, physicians and Indigenous Elders and healers. Led by Sirish Rao, Interim Co-CEO, and Paula Toledo, Lead Wellbeing Consultant at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the lab utilizes existing infrastructure—formed through close collaborations with renowned health experts and organizations that believe in art’s capacity to heal—to ensure that specific individuals who could benefit from artistic experiences have access to such experiences

The lab is envisioned as a safe and welcoming space where community members of all ages and backgrounds have opportunities to draw upon the resources of the Gallery and its partners to improve their overall health. These opportunities are delivered through innovative initiatives such as BC Parks Foundation’s PaRx program—which allows healthcare professionals to prescribe a visit to the exhibition Emily Carr: Navigating an Impenetrable Landscape for their patient and a guest—and Art At Any Age, which promotes healthy aging in seniors through communal art-making activities and physical movement in response to artistic ideas. 

Art Improves Wellbeing. Your Support Makes It Possible.

With your help, we can sustain and grow these vital initiatives, ensuring more people experience the transformative impact of art.

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