17-06-2025
Newly launched Polk Collaborative aims to integrate the arts with health
Polk County has launched the Polk Arts & Health Collaborative, a cross-sector alliance dedicated to enhancing individual and community well-being through the integration of arts and health.
Modeled after the national NeuroArts Blueprint, an initiative from Johns Hopkins University and Aspen Institute, PAHC opens with a Lakeland Chapter, Watson Clinic said in a news release. The Watson Clinic Foundation's Arts in Medicine program will serve in the new alliance.
'We are proud to align our local vision with the momentum of the national NeuroArts movement,' Tiffany Van Wieren, the Watson Clinic Foundation's Arts in Medicine Program Coordinator, said in the release. 'This collaborative will amplify existing efforts while also inviting new partners to explore how creative expression can support healing, resilience, and connection in our community while also elevating the research behind this movement.'
Joining the Watson Clinic Foundation's Arts in Medicine Program in the initiative are the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art, Florida Southern College, Lakeland Vision, Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine, Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, Orlando Health, Mayor's Council on the Arts and the Polk Arts and Cultural Alliance.
The initial phase of PAHC will focus on identifying programs, individuals and institutions currently integrating arts and health throughout Polk County, the release said. The mission of PAHC will not only recognize existing work but will also serve as a gateway for curious individuals and organizations to learn about NeuroArts and to join the collaborative, sparking fresh initiatives and innovative partnerships in previously unengaged sectors.
Any organization or individual with interest in joining the collaborative should contact Tiffany Van Wieren at 863-603-4718 or AIM@ For more information on PAHC, visit
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk Arts & Health Collaborative launches Arts in Medicine program
