Inspiring Keynote Speakers, Hands-on Workshops, and Entertainment!
​
Saturday, February 29, 8 AM - 5 PM
at Eccles Fine Arts Center at Dixie State University
Opening Reception
Friday Evening, February 28, 6 PM - 8 PM
at ART Provides Gallery, 35 North Main, St. George
 
We have brought together some of the best thinkers for you at this one-day, intensive symposium on Arts and Healing. 
This is truly the future of healthcare, so much exciting research is showing the proven benefits of participating
in the arts for longevity, mobility, cognitive ability, and quality of life for all, regardless of age!

The 2020 Arts and Healing symposium is Saturday, February 29 at the
Eccles Fine Arts Center on the campus of Dixie State University,
with an opening reception Friday evening at ART Provides Gallery 35 N Main St #306, St. George from 6 - 8 pm. ​

Registration and a light breakfast will start at 7:30am, lunch at noon, with speakers and workshops until 5 pm. 
Both meals and symposium materials are included with your registration fee of $50.00,
seniors over 65 $35.00, students $35.00.
​
(Presentations subject to change)

Morning Keynote Presentation
Creativity, Connection and Health
Dr. Jeremy Nobel
President of the Foundation for Arts & Healing and Founder of the UnLonely Project. Faculty, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health 

Learn about the silent epidemic of loneliness that is reducing both life expectancy and enjoyment of life. Discover how creative expression can activate, engage and connect us, reducing the physical and emotional burden associated loneliness as well as with various types of health conditions and life circumstances.
 
Explore
the relationship between creative arts and “connection” through short films, scientific research and interactive dialog.
Empower
and connect individuals through innovative programs and tools.
Engage
our community through shared stories of “art and healing” while opening the door to sustainable and scalable programs.
  
JEREMY NOBEL, MD, MPH As a practicing general internist for many years, Dr. Nobel experienced “the front
lines” of health care and its delivery. Currently, through his faculty appointments at the Harvard School of
Public Health and the Harvard Medical School, Dr. Nobel’s teaching, research, and community-based projects
address the design of healthcare delivery systems that improve quality, cost-effectiveness and access. His work
has been the basis of significant improvements in preventative, acute, chronic, rehabilitative, and end of life
medical care that focus on understanding what quality healthcare means from a patient perspective, and how
best to deliver it.
Dr. Nobel is also a recognized leader in the field of medical humanities, an interdisciplinary endeavor that
draws on a diverse range of fields, including the creative arts, to inform medical education and practice. He is
the founder and president of the Foundation for Art and Healing (www.ArtandHealing.org) whose
signature initiative, the UnLonely Project (www.UnLonelyProject.org), addressing the personal and public
health challenges of loneliness and social isolation has gained national visibility. His work is dedicated to
exploring the important relationship between creative expression and health and well-being, bringing
those benefits to individuals and communities through innovative programs and an active research agenda.
A published poet, Dr. Nobel has received several awards for his poetry including the Bain-Swiggett Prize from
Princeton University, and the American Academy of Poets Prize from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also
a photographer, and a teacher—a practitioner of the humanities. With the unique background and training
required to bridge scientific and humanistic disciplines, he has contributed to significant explorations into how
creative expression mitigates illness and enhances well-being. He has become a prominent advocate for
creative engagement, ancillary to and integrated with traditional medical care, as a pathway to healing.
The UnLonely Project is the signature initiative of nonprofit organization The Foundation for Art & Healing,
whose mission is to broaden public awareness of the negative physical and mental health consequences of
loneliness, while promoting creative arts-based interventions to reduce its burden. The UnLonely Project has
three primary goals: first, to raise awareness about loneliness as a pressing health problem and promote
 
creative expression as an innovative approach to alleviate it; second, to offer creative arts-based tools,
resources, and programs for managing loneliness, adaptable for a range of individuals and communities; and
third, to catalyze and conduct further research into how to most effectively reduce the burden of loneliness for
millions of Americans. The UnLonely Project has garnered national visibility, including being featured on the
Today Show, The New York Times and Psychology Today.
 


Afternoon Keynote Presentation
Raising Connected, Happy and Successful Kids through Art
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Board Certified Art Therapist
Author, speaker and instructor at UCLArts & Healing, San Juan Capistrano, CA
​
Talking to kids often isn’t effective, especially when it comes to calming emotions. In this hands-on keynote, learn art-therapy trade secrets to address myriad challenges faced by children and teens when words are not adequate or accessible. From anger to anxiety and daily struggles, this session will equip you with practical tools for calming the kids in your life with creativity. Based on the award-winning book, “The Innovative Parent: Raising Connected, Happy, Successful Kids through Art,” this workshop is geared toward parents, grandparents, and professionals alike.

Erica Curtis is the co-author of the award-winning book, “The Innovative Parent: Raising Connected, Happy, Successful Kids through Art”.  She is a Marriage and Family Therapist, board-certified art therapist, and internationally cited expert on creative and cutting-edge approaches to psychological, relational, and emotional health (appearing in over 70 media outlets). Erica is a past board director for the American Art Therapy Association and past president of the Southern California chapter. Erica is an instructor and curriculum developer for UCLArts & Healing and internationally sought speaker. Erica maintains a psychotherapy practice in San Juan Capistrano.


Breakout Sessions and Workshops
4 one-hour sessions with 3 to 4 choices per session

Session 1
Art Therapy and Wellness in the Creative Age
Vickie Morgan, ATR, CMHC - President Utah Art Therapy Association University of Utah Hospital
Neuropsychiatric Institute, Salt Lake City

Ensemble Music Participation as Lifelong Resiliency
Victoria Petro-Eschler, Executive Director of Salty Cricket Composers Collective, Salt Lake City

How to Start an Arts and Healing Program
Naj Wikoff, Vice President NOAH, National Organization for Arts in Health, San Diego, CA

Dance Through Life - finding open spaces and places for creativity
Joni Urry Wilson - Studio Director, Tanner Dance Theater, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 
Chara Huckins-Malaret - Repertory Dance Theater Dancer for 19 years, teacher at multiple universities,
full-time BTS Dance Specialist

Session 2
​
Health Music: The Sound of Life
Dr. Massimiliano Frani, concert pianist, founder Genote, Fruit Heights

Theater For Life
Dr. Brant Wadsworth, Drama Therapist; Executive Director of Canyon Creek Services, Cedar City

Core Solutions: Maintaining Personal Excellence in the Caretaker Cycle
Kelli Charlton and Monique Panet-Swanson

Flex Your Creative Imagination: An Introduction to Music in Motion
Barbara J. Lewis and Nicholas Cendese, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT), Salt Lake City

Session 3

Music Therapy Across the Lifespan
Karen Carter, SCMT, MT-BC, TRS, president Utah Music Therapy Association, Logan

Befriending Challenging Emotions with Creativity
Erica Cutris, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Board Certified Art Therapist
Author, speaker and instructor at UCLArts & Healing, San Juan Capistrano, CA

Mindfulness and Health: The Art of Conscious Living
Dr. David Tate, Psychologist in private practice, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Teacher for the
LiVe Well Center at Intermountain Health Care, St. George
​
Minding Motion for Graceful Aging
Sharon Daurelle, master lead teaching artist for Minding Motion for Graceful Aging​ 

Session 4

Bolstering Dementia Care through Music Listening, Choral Singing, and Support Groups
Emily Christensen and Alex Mack, Jewish Family Services, Salt Lake City

Not By My Selfie: Exploring Loneliness @ Work
Dr. Jeremy Nobel, President of the Foundation for Arts & Healing and Founder of the UnLonely Project.
Faculty, ​Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health 

Artifying Spiritual Care: A Portfolio
Saundra Shanti,  Board Certified Multi-faith Chaplain, University of Utah, with Rev Claudia Giacoma, Episcopal priest


CEU Credits Available
Participants wanting to earn CEU credits in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Recreational Therapy, Social Work and Art & Music Therapy - up to 7 credits available! We will have applications at the registration desk. CEU credits are available for $15 processing fee, prepay online with your registration or at the door.
​
For a list of hotels and lodging opportunities, additional information and questions, please
call 435-238-4948 or email bell.paulalynn@gmail.com
This project is supported in part by Utah Arts and Museums, with funding from the State of Utah and the
​National Endowment for the Arts and the following sponsors:
​

Purchase tickets at
artwashco.eventbrite.com
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​The Arts Council of Washington County (ACWC) coordinates and promotes leadership and policies that encourage and foster a strong, vibrant, and cohesive arts community for the purpose of enriching the lives of County residents and visitors. This is primarily through professional development activities, cooperative planning, advocacy, and promotion.

Some FAQs about the Arts Council of Washington County

Who do you serve, and where? ACWC works with artists, professional organizations, community-based groups and school arts providers to realize their potential. Our support reaches throughout Washington County in all artistic disciplines.
Where does your operational support come from? We receive ongoing support from a majority of the Cities and Municipalities have also contributed to our efforts.
How are you different than the St. George Arts Commission or the Utah Department of Arts & Museums? ACWC is known as a Local Arts Agency, functioning at the County level, vs. City or State levels.
Support Arts and Recreation in Southern Utah
Arts Council of Washington County welcomes everyone’s involvement.
We value your input, participation and donations.
Find out what ACWC can do for YOU!

Thank you to our past sponsors