Arts in Health

This interdisciplinary minor allows you to create, exhibit, and perform your art in healthcare and community environments, applying your studies in dance, visual arts, design, photography, theatre, music, creative writing, and film. The highly experiential coursework includes performance as therapy, expressive arts therapy, creative arts therapies (art, dance/movement, drama, music, and poetry), arts in health theory, and arts in health practice. You are introduced to professionals in the field and innovative research to support your facilitation of arts-based programming in healthcare and community environments through a practicum experience.

Community Partnerships

• Rush Medical College
• Rush Generations through the Department of Community Health & Promotion
• Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital
• Snow City Arts
• The Art Institute of Chicago

Why Minor?

Arts engagement takes many forms throughout the college and assists in shaping the culture of our time. Arts in Health practitioners transcend boundaries by using the arts to engage patients, family members, healthcare workers, medical students, and communities promoting and enhancing health and well-being. Fifty percent of hospitals across the U.S. employ artists; thereby, providing you with unique employment opportunities upon graduation.

What competencies must be attained by artists to ensure safe and ethical practice? What is the scope of practice for artists working in environments with interdisciplinary teams? What is the relationship between other team members such as creative arts therapists, child life specialists, artists in residence, and teaching artists? How can art be altruistic? These and other questions form the development of theory, practice, and research for artists interested in applying their creative practice to diverse environments and audiences.