Arts in Healing
At Perkins Center for the Arts, we believe the Arts are more than expression; they are essential to our individual and communal health. As a recognized social determinant of health (SDOH), engagement in the Arts supports healing, strengthens communities, and improves quality of life.
Rooted in South Jersey, Perkins is uniquely positioned to harness the naturally therapeutic power of creativity through active participation and meaningful exposure. Whether creating, listening, viewing, or connecting, every artistic experience contributes to stronger emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
A Holistic Approach to Healing Through the Arts
Perkins’ Arts in Healing programs are designed to meet people where they are and to be accessible, inclusive, and responsive to evolving community needs.
Join us. Create. Connect. Heal.
Benefits of Arts in Healing
Mental & Physical Health
Mental: Whether engaging in the arts as an audience member or spectator, or as a creator or student, engagement in arts activities are shown to promote greater mental health. At Perkins Center for the Arts, we provide arts engagement for every community member regardless of age, ability, or creative mindset. From 20+ free, annual exhibitions to community concerts and visual and performing arts classes, Perkins supports the general health and well-being of our communities.
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- “The arts, whether you’re engaging in them or just appreciating them, can bring enjoyment and encouragement, but expressing oneself through art can also have physical and mental health benefits.” (American Psychiatric Association). People who engaged in cultural activities (museums, theatre, concerts) monthly or more frequently had a 48% lower risk of developing depression over a ten-year period.
Fancourt & Steptoe (The British Journal of Psychiatry) - Just 45 minutes of visual art making was found to dramatically lower the stress hormone cortisol in 75% of participants in a controlled study, regardless of artistic skill or experience.
Study by Kaimal, Ray, & Muniz, published in Art Therapy (2016)
Physical: As we discuss the benefits of arts engagement, the cascading effect of arts experiences improves the general physical health and well-being of individuals as well.
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- The use of arts to shorten hospital stays suggests a potential $56 BILLION in annual U.S. healthcare savings.
Americans for the Arts - Active music-making for 30 minutes resulted in significantly increased endorphin levels (natural pain-relieving chemicals) and corresponding decreases in pain ratings.
Journal of Pain Research - Music was shown to reduce the need to take pain medication, a critical step in preventing the transition to chronic opioid use.
National Endowment for the Arts
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong learning through the arts boosts cognitive skills (creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking), enhances emotional intelligence (empathy, self-expression, resilience), improves social connections (community, cultural understanding, collaboration), supports mental/physical health (stress relief, better morale), and fosters academic/career success by developing adaptable, well-rounded individuals for life’s challenges. It builds “habits of mind” like observing, reflecting, and persisting, making learning a continuous, joyful process.
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Twelfth graders who participated in the arts are 40% more likely to have friends from different racial groups and demonstrate higher tolerance.
Americans for the Arts
Medical residents who attended 3 or 4 sessions of visual art training showed a statistically significant increase in the number of details they recalled from images, demonstrating a dose-dependent improvement in observational skills.
Journal of Graduate Medical Education
55% lower risk of cognitive impairment for adults who continued creative activities (painting, music, writing) into midlife and beyond.
Mayo Clinic
Read more about The Arts and Lifelong Learning
Perkins Arts in Healing Initiatives
At Perkins Center for the Arts, we believe that creativity is a vital component of the human experience and a powerful tool for recovery, empathy, and connection. Through our strategic partnerships, we are integrating the arts into the fabric of healthcare across South Jersey.
Art in Healing Research: ARTSBridge: Rowan University
Researching the Impact of Creative Practice
In collaboration with the George Family Center for Healing Arts and the NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute, the ARTSBridge program connects patients to specialized arts practices through clinical prescription. This initiative focuses on the intersection of medicine and creativity, using research to quantify how artistic engagement supports physical, pain management and neurological health.
Art in Healthcare: Healing through Art: A Collaborative Model for Community Qellness: Cooper Medical School
Cultivating the Next Generation of Caregivers
The ARTSWELL program serves medical students at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. By providing “Arts in Healing” opportunities, we help future doctors and prescribers understand the profound benefits of creative therapy for their patients. Simultaneously, these sessions provide students with essential tools to alleviate their own stress, manage social isolation, and maintain well-being during their rigorous medical training.
Arts against Social Isolation: Samaritan SILCC
Fostering Connection Through Community
Perkins is a proud member of the Samaritan Social Isolation, Loneliness & Connection Collaborative (SILCC). This coalition of major health systems and over 40 nonprofits is dedicated to addressing the mental and physical toll of loneliness in South Jersey.
Our Mission: To educate the public on the impacts of isolation and foster partnerships that create tailored, creative programming for diverse populations—from veterans’ groups to animal shelters.
Arts in a Palliative Care Setting: Samaritan
Providing Comfort and Reflection
We support patients, families, and caregivers at Samaritan Hospice by curating rotating art galleries within the hospice center. These visual installations offer a sense of peace, a moment of reflection, and a dignified environment for those navigating the complexities of end-of-life care.
