Arts in Healthy Aging: Exploring Research, Policy, and Professional Practice

Arts in Healthy Aging examines public policies and professional practices that effectively use the arts to support health and well-being outcomes in older adults. It offers a comprehensive study of why and how purposefully-designed programs that engage the visual, performing, and literary arts can support the health and well-being of older adults. The authors argue that it is the right time for the American arts and aging movement to restructure itself as a national network and advocacy coalition across four domains: the arts, health, aging, and lifelong learning.

Building on decades of published research, government documents, and program models, this scholarly volume provides historical perspectives, new theoretical approaches, analytical models, resources for researchers and practitioners, and pathways forward for advancing the interdisciplinary arts in healthy aging field of scholarship and practice. Although focused on the United States, the discussion of policies and practices is relevant and applicable to other countries as appropriate to their specific contexts.

Patricia Dewey Lambert, Professor, School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon,Doug Blandy, Professor Emeritus, School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon,Margaret Wyszomirski, Professor Emerita, Department of Art Administration, Education and Policy, The Ohio State University

Patricia Dewey Lambert, PhD, is Professor in the University of Oregon's School of Planning, Public Policy and Management. Her research and teaching specialize in arts administration, arts in health, cultural policy, nonprofit management, and international public policy. She was lead author for Arts, Health & Well-Being in America, published by the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH). From 2021 to 2024 she served on the board of NOAH for which she oversaw national field advancement and professionalization initiatives and resources.

Doug Blandy, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management and the Folklore and Public Culture Program at the University of Oregon. His research and teaching address art educational experiences in community-based settings within a lifelong learning context. Professor Blandy's research has been published in Studies in Art Education, Art Education, Visual Arts Research, the Journal of Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Research in Art Education, and the Visual Sociology Review, among other journals.

Margaret J. Wyszomirski, PhD, is Professor Emerita in the Department of Arts Administration, Education, and Policy at The Ohio State University. Previously, she was the Staff Director of the congressionally-mandated, bipartisan Independent Commission on the National Endowment for the Arts and then Director of the Office of Planning, Research and Budget at the National Endowment for the Arts. Her research and teaching on cultural policy have focused on arts policy and public funding, cultural diplomacy, entrepreneurship, and professionalism in the arts.