Healing through the arts with a local art therapist
San Antonio art therapist Gaby Gamez, a panelist for our March 2 virtual event “Art and the Brain: A Wellness Conversation” explained to Unfiltered SA what art therapy entails and why creating art is healing for the brain. To hear more from Ms. Gamez register for tonight’s 6 pm panel discussion where she will be joined by Dr. Richard Aste (Director and CEO, McNay Art Museum) and Dr. Lindsay Bira (Clinical Health Psychologist) as they discuss how art moves, heals, delights, and ultimately transforms.
Brain research shows the arts promote mental health
The relationship between the arts and mental health is well established in the field of art therapy, which applies arts-based techniques (like painting and dancing) as interventions for mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. The Conversation explores this relationship and looks at the subject of neuroesthetics and tips for creating art-based mindfulness.
Healthcare workers are turning to art to cope. Here are some of their projects
As the pandemic stretches toward the one-year mark, with half a million deaths in the U.S. alone, healthcare workers are increasingly burned out and traumatized. For some, creating art is a form of escape, a way to cope with stress or share a message of hope with their community. The Los Angeles Times spoke to five healthcare workers about how art helps them mentally and how the pandemic has affected their artistry.