"I hadn’t left my room in weeks. Then the musicians came to the hospital."
A UH program brought music into hospitals during COVID recovery. Something changed. The research backs it up—but the experience speaks for itself.
We use creativity to connect. Art to heal. Culture to drive change.
What Is Arts & Health?
Where science meets story. Where healing meets creativity.
Arts & Health is the field where artistic practice meets health care, wellness, and public health. Whether through music, visual art, performance, storytelling, or design, we use the arts to reduce stress, improve mental health, and build trust in care systems.
Examples include:
- Music therapy in hospitals
- Public art campaigns to build vaccine confidence
- Storytelling with patients to ease fear and increase understanding
- Artist residencies in clinical spaces
- Performance as a mental health intervention
Why It Matters
Creative approaches change lives.
Scientific research increasingly shows what many artists and clinicians already know: the arts are powerful tools for healing. They can lower anxiety, reduce pain, improve communication, and support recovery. This isn’t a side project. It’s the future of care.
Our Work in Action
From academic programs and groundbreaking research to mobile outreach
and global partnerships, our work bridges the arts and health in powerful, real-world
ways.
Through innovative collaborations, community programs, and international leadership,
we’re advancing the role of the arts in healing, wellness, and public health.
Academic Programs
Prepares students to lead in healthcare, education, nonprofits, and cultural institutions.
Learn MoreHouston’s first undergraduate degree leading to board certification in music therapy.
Learn More Read UH's Student SpotlightResearch, Community Programs, & Public Engagement
The Effects of Group Keyboard Music Making on the Mood States of College Students
- Psychology of Music (2021)
- Collaboration between faculty in the McGovern College, Fertitta Family College of Medicine, and Department of Mathematics.
- Mobile Arts Response Vehicle (MARV): A mobile unit for performances, exhibitions, and healing arts engagement in collaboration with Houston Methodist Hospital.
- Engaging Arts & Culture for Vaccine Confidence: A CDC-funded, citywide campaign using the arts to build trust in health systems. Partners: Fertitta Family College of Medicine + City of Houston.
Global Leadership
UH served as host for the nation’s leading gathering in Arts in Health, drawing researchers, artists, and clinicians from across the country.
Read“The Future Is Unwritten: Healing Arts” (2022 Symposium) An international symposium in collaboration with:
- World Health Organization
- Culturunners
- New York University
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Menninger Clinic
- Texas Medical Center
- UH Fertitta Family College of Medicine
Global partnerships with WHO, NYU, Culturunners, and leading medical institutions
How Arts & Health Makes a Difference
Arts & Health is a focused area within the McGovern College of the Arts, but its impact reaches far beyond. Through interdisciplinary research, national funding, and global partnerships, this initiative is redefining how care is understood, delivered, and experienced.
Our impact includes:
- Peer-reviewed research with national and international relevance
- Community-based programs integrating arts into public health strategies
- Recognition and funding from organizations like the CDC
- Leadership in global conversations alongside the WHO and other major institutions
Arts & Health at UH is driving innovation at the intersection of creativity and care—shaping
healthier communities and a more human-centered approach to healing.
Get Involved
Want to partner, support, or study arts and health at UH? We welcome collaborators across medicine, education, policy, and the arts.