Northside Hospital and The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) will develop a groundbreaking arts therapy program for health care workers — an initiative that recognizes the unique challenges and post-pandemic environment of Georgia’s nurses, medical technicians and physicians.
“Art for Healers” aims to connect health care professionals with local artists through rejuvenating, creative experiences. The programming and requirements will be organized over the next year and the launch will coincide with MOCA GA’s new facility at the Goat Farm in Atlanta.
“MOCA GA has always focused on nurturing a thriving community where everyone has access to art and to artists,” said Annette Cone-Skelton, cofounder and longtime president/CEO/director of MOCA GA. “With Northside Hospital’s vision and support, we’ll build a dynamic program that will center art as an essential element to inspire the entire health care community to create and commune in new, meaningful ways.”
In 2017, MOCA GA and the Shepherd Center in Atlanta partnered in an effort to provide increased access to the arts for U.S. military veterans as they were treated for PTSD and moderate traumatic brain injuries. Northside Hospital also offers arts therapy support for its employees as part of its Healing the Healers program.
“We’re going to move these types of creative programs to the next level. By introducing health care providers to artists in an artistic setting, we hope to open a new window of relief and revival for them,” said Lee Echols, vice president of marketing of Northside Hospital. “The collaboration of two industries hit hard by the pandemic – health care and creative arts – has the potential to make a huge impact on both.”
While art therapy is not new, the goal of “Art for Healers” makes Georgia caregivers the primary audience. MOCA GA and Northside’s behavioral health experts will curate programming, workshops and experiences that incorporate the realities of the health care landscape with the expression and freedom of art.
MOCA GA is an artists-focused arts organization founded in 2000 to support, exhibit, collect and preserve artwork by Georgia artists. Over nearly 25 years, MOCA GA has developed a deep connection to the state’s most talented artists through innovative programs, including the Working Artist Project, Education/Research Center, Education/Outreach Program and bi-annual GATHERED exhibition. The organization’s new 26,000-square-foot facility at the Goat Farm will anchor a fast-evolving community of artists, residences and resources, transforming the way in which Georgians view their arts and culture.
With nearly 30,000 employees in the Atlanta region and north Georgia, the Northside Hospital system is a leader in cancer, heart, maternity and women’s health, orthopedics, surgery and primary care. Its access to care includes five highly ranked hospitals and more than 300 outpatient facilities and clinics.
Learn more about The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia.
Learn more about Northside Hospital's community partnerships.
Photo credits:
- (Top) Installation shot of Drawings of Wildness and Silence by 2019/2020 Working Artist Project Fellow William Downs
- (Center) Installation shot of The Water and the Blood by 2010/2011 Working Artist Project Fellow Micah Stansell
