Museums as a Catalyst:

Health has been defined as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’.1 The concept of wellbeing and what it means to be healthy remains deeply relevant to our communities in its concerns of shared trauma, grief, and loss confronted universally over the past several years. Poignant— and timely in response to continuing grim realities and profound global struggles— the proposed convening will highlight the potential of museums to serve as accessible, inclusive spaces for care and creativity, and their ability to offer community to diverse populations through the arts, artistic collaborations, and aesthetic experiences.

Residing within the academic research arena of Kennesaw State University, the Zuckerman Museum of Art [ZMA] is positioned to take a leading role as a catalyst for enacting change within our internal and external communities by providing programming that supports all aspects of mental and physical health and wellness through the lens of the artistic experiences. The ZMA has the potential to serve as a place of transformational change for the community while supporting and enhancing diverse audiences through service activities, experiential learning, leadership, and collaboration. This convening offers a platform to discuss developments in the medical/therapy field and the opportunities for cross-disciplinary programming between the professional disciplines of health care and contemporary art museums, artists and designers, and curators envisioning the future of well-being and recovery, as well as processing personal loss and trauma through the arts and art museum experiences. 

Contemplative and impactful interactions with art, both via temporary exhibitions and museum collections, and the opportunities of interdisciplinary work between museum educators, art educators, designers, and medical school partners envisioning meaningful collaborations will be explored. Thus, this forum solicits acknowledgment of diverse voices and highlights the role of each stakeholder as audible in order for expressive content to be relevant and responsive to the populations it serves. This outwardly facing lens seeks and establishes a collaborative viewing of the museum and its inhabited landscapes as shared catalysts.

1) This definition comes from the Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization, as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19 June - 22 July 1946.