Arts & Minds programs have been formally studied and published at conferences in the fields of art, museums and medicine as platform presentations, posters, and scholarly articles. In brief, our findings identify both qualitative and quantitative benefits of the individual experiences, over time. In addition, our programs have a demonstrable effect on a larger circle of individuals touched by Arts & Minds, including museum staff and medical students.
Carolyn Halpin-Healy in conversation with Sara Torres
Carolyn Halpin-Healy (2017)
Arte, Individuo Y Sociedad
Carolyn Halpin-Healy on her experience as Co-Founder and Executive Director of Arts & Minds in conversation with art education scholar Sara Torres
Well-Chosen Objects Support Well-Being for People with Dementia and Their Care Partners
Carolyn Halpin-Healy (2017)
Journal of Museum Education
Arts & Minds programs aim to promote well-being for people with dementia and their care partners. Educators must balance the needs of participants with the given conditions of display in the museum.
Multi-cultural Dialogue and Transformative Learning at The Studio Museum in Harlem
Carolyn Halpin-Healy (2015)
Museum and Society
Research is beginning to document the impact of museums on the cognitive and emotional health of people with dementia (PWD) and those who care for them. At the Studio Museum in Harlem, Arts & Minds programs have created a dynamic learning environment for the very forgetful through dialogic interpretation of art and expressive art making.
“How Might You…?” Seeking Inquiry in the Museum Studio
Hollie Ecker & Sarah Mostow (2015)
Journal of Museum Education
Arts & Minds teaching artists discuss their approach to art making workshops for children. This approach has been adapted and modified for adult participants at Arts & Minds to great success.
Changing Medical Student Perceptions of Dementia: An Arts-Centered Experience
H. J. Roberts and J. M. Noble, MD (2015)
Neurology
Medical students’ comfort level working with dementia is poorly understood, and may impact subsequent experiences with patients and caregivers. Early experiences that take place in a non-medical setting may allow students to gain a more comprehensive understanding of quality of life and disease management in everyday life.
A museum experience for patients may benefit medical students
Marcia D. Childress and Donna Chen, MD (2015)
Neurology
Roberts and Noble add to a growing consensus about the value of museum-based arts activities in medical education. Such activities may positively influence students’ formation as compassionate, clinically adept physicians able to care for persons whose diagnoses, dispositions, and dire prognoses may be difficult to bear.
Changing medical student perceptions of dementia
H. J. Roberts and J. M. Noble, MD (2014)
American Academy of Neurology, Poster Session
Participating in non-clinical, museum-based experiences alongside patients with dementia and their caregivers improves medical student attitudes towards dementia.
Museum programs: dementia patient apathy and caregiver well-being
H.J. Roberts, C. Halpin-Healy, R. McGinnis, and J.M. Nobel, MD
American Academy of Neurology, Poster Session
Art-centered experiences may improve caregiver burden and well-being. We study the potential impact of art-centered museum based programs on caregiver burden and patient apathy.