Symposia
Colorado Arts & Health Convening
Thursday, March 5
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Hosted by Denver Botanic Gardens in partnership with Colorado Creative Industries, the Colorado Arts & Health Convening is a day-long gathering for arts and nonprofit professionals exploring how arts and cultural experiences support human health, well-being and community connection. The convening will share national and local research, highlight community-based models and introduce key principles of social prescribing. Through presentations, panel discussions and table talks, participants will engage with peers and learn from existing Colorado initiatives at the intersection of arts and health.
Attendees will:
- Hear research from the field documenting impacts of arts on health and wellbeing
- Learn about social prescribing programs and practices that harness the power of the arts and aesthetic experiences for individual and community benefit
- Discover regional efforts in Colorado spearheaded by local champions
- Consider how their own work/organization is already providing key resources for health
- Connect with others during organized table discussions
Speakers
- Alexandra K. Rodriguez, PhD(c), MPH, – University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine
- Alyson Maier Lokuta – New Jersey Performing Arts Center
- Adrienne Hundley – Social Rx (formerly Art Pharmacy)
- Andrea Camp – NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, a partnership between the International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Aspen Institute’s Health, Medicine and Society Program
- Bama Lutes Deal – Palm Foundation
- Katherine Reed – Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab
- Malik Robinson – Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
- Carrie Martin – Castle Rock Artist Alliance
- Dagny McKinley – Prescription for the Arts
Morning coffee and lunch provided.
Science-Art Symposium: The Nature of Health
Sept. 17 & 18
The Nature of Health is a multidisciplinary science and art symposium exploring how creative practice, the natural world and ecological vitality shape human health and wellbeing. Bringing together artists, scientists, health practitioners and cultural leaders, the symposium examines health as an interconnected system—one that depends on both human creativity and the health of the environments we inhabit.
The symposium centers on three core themes:
- Art and Health
How the arts foster emotional wellbeing, resilience, connection and collective care—supporting mental, physical and social health across communities. - Nature and Health
How time spent in nature—gardens, forests, wetlands and urban green spaces—supports psychological restoration, physical vitality and overall wellbeing. - Health of Nature
How biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are essential to sustaining life, highlighting stewardship, conservation and reciprocal relationships with the living world.
Through keynotes, interdisciplinary panels, artistic interventions and shared dialogue, The Nature of Health invites participants to reimagine health as a shared responsibility—nurtured through creativity, connection to nature and care for the planet.
A Call for Sessions will be released soon, with the full agenda and speakers to be announced in the coming months.
Questions? Email exhibits@botanicgardens.org.