UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine

11/14/2025

This week, Arts in Medicine gathered at UF Lake Wauberg’s beautiful Cypress Lodge for our annual Wellness Retreat 🫶

The retreat is dedicated to the many ways we support ourselves and our wellness: grounding exercises, nourishing food, time spent in nature and of course, the arts!

Our team enjoyed activities like making collage and watercolor painting, ekphrastic poetry, and restorative bodywork sessions. Following a nourishing meal made by our honorary chef, Kris Sullivan, our team then played music together while others drew, knit, or just relaxed in good company.

It’s important to our team to “practice what we preach” and engage in the arts in community for our health and well-being. The annual Wellness Retreat supports our program’s core values such as social connection, well-being, creativity, and nature and the environment.

11/14/2025

Hear from AIM director, Jenny Lee, and AIM musician and visual artist, Ricky Kendall!

🌟 Reminder: Join Us for Our Upcoming Arts in Health Webinar! 🌟

There’s still time to register for our next session in the Arts in Health Webinar Series — happening November 18 at 2 PM ET! 🎨🩺

This conversation will spotlight the impact of creative practice in clinical settings, featuring:
🎤 Dr. Jenny Baxley Lee — Director, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine & Center Master Lecturer
🎤 Ricky Kendall — Arts in Health Practitioner, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine
🎤 Elke Downer — Senior Manager, JoyRx Music & Center Alum

Together, they’ll share how artists help create healing environments for patients, families, and care teams — and discuss pathways for sustainable careers in arts in health.

👉 Don’t miss this inspiring discussion — reserve your spot today! ⬇️🔗 https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2u9Q36xYR7eDCXstZVztBg #/registration

UF College of the Arts, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine

11/13/2025

Back by popular demand! 🎶 The UF School of Music’s Sounds of the Season returns — now for two nights, Nov. 20–21! Celebrate the holidays with 300+ student and community performers, including the UF Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Singers, Concert Choir & Gainesville Master Chorale. 🎄✨

Enjoy festive favorites from The Nutcracker Suite to You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch — a joyful evening for the whole family!

🎟️ FREE tickets available TODAY — Nov. 12, starting at noon, only at the Phillips Center Box Office (limit 4 per guest).

11/13/2025

11/13/2025

Claude Monet's Birthday is November 14. Celebrate a day early at Art After Dark | Museum Nights tonight, November 13, from 6 - 9 pm, and enjoy the “French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850 - 1950” exhibition. Take a student-led tour, paint a wine/juice glass and enjoy the Parisian sounds of Hot Club de Ville.

Admission is free.

The Harn is also collecting food for the Bread of the Mighty food bank. Bring an item to our Museum Nights event and help others in need. Accepted items are canned goods, pasta, rice, peanut butter, cereal, granola bars, fruit cups, applesauce, juice, cooking oils and paper products. Bins are located in the galleria entry area at the Harn.

image: Claude Monet, “Waterloo Bridge,” 1903, Gift of Ione T. Staley, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Gift of Ione T. Staley

11/13/2025

Our team was honored to help lift up Zanaa's stories through a radio drama on our radio show, Shift Change Radio Hour, during her admission at UF Health 🧡
Consider supporting Zanaa's family, and her legacy of creative writing, by purchasing her published book using the link in this post.

We are deeply saddened to share the passing of 16-year-old Zanaa Queen, a remarkable young woman whose courage and creativity touched everyone at the Ronald McDonald House.

Just days before her passing, Zanaa’s greatest wish came true: her book, Three Short Stories, was published. This beautiful accomplishment stands as a lasting tribute to her strength, imagination, and resilience.

In memory of Zanaa, please consider purchasing a copy of Three Short Stories. Your purchase isn’t just a book, it’s a way to honor her journey.

Available for purchase on Amazon and Kindle: https://amzn.to/4hTRr6o

Read more about Zanaa's loving legacy here: https://bit.ly/43r3r9z

11/10/2025

The Criser Cancer Resource Center is closed Tuesday, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day.
The resource center is also closed on Wednesday, November 12th, to allow the Arts in Medicine team to gather for our annual Wellness Retreat.

Arts in Medicine services will be paused both days.

11/05/2025

This week, we wave farewell to a key group of members of the UF Health Shands AIM team as they head to New York City for the National Organization for Arts in Health's annual conference (NOAHCON'25) 👋

For three immersive days of arts in health presentations and experiences, they will learn, share, and network with fellow arts in health professionals from across the nation! 🎨💊

🌟Co-presenting Thursday, Nov. 6th at 11:05am is AIM's own Nurse Coordinator and dancer, Lauren Arce, MSN, RN, OCN, AHN-BC.

Hear from Lauren and her co-presenter, Janice Baker, CAGS, MA, CTRS, as they present during the multidisciplinary Artist Workforce Development Plenary 🎙

One highlight from their presentation includes one of the hottest topics currently discussed in the field of arts in health: Defining Scope of Practice.

In a field full of diverse roles that often lack clear definitions, Lauren and Janice highlight the Scope of Practice and Core Competencies, two new NOAH resources help define the arts in health practice. 📝

See you there!

11/04/2025

Currently, one of the hottest topics in the field of arts in health is artist workforce development and certification 🚨

The question raised: What is an appropriate title for a professional artist working in the healthcare setting?

Once decided, who gets to claim it? And how?

With "Advancing practice in arts in health: Artist workforce development and certification," authors like UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine's Nurse Coordinator, Lauren Arce, take a significant first step towards legitimizing the many, multi-sectoral professional roles we see in the field today.

Through collaboration with current arts in health professionals from all corners of the US, the authors provide the arts in health field with both a call to action and a resource guide for further developing the arts in health workforce.

Explore the paper: https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/items/452b2481-f826-4825-ab48-51e3fff9c067

11/03/2025

The opening reception for "Drawing While Being Drawn," a visual art and comic exhibit by Terrence Ho, was a true delight!

In case you missed it, the exhibit will be on display until December 12th! Stop by the Criser Cancer Resource Center (1st floor of the UF Health Cancer Hospital next to Admissions) during regular business hours to view the powerful works in person.

11/03/2025

10/31/2025

Registration is OPEN (and scholarships are available) for the 2026 Arts in Health Research Primer!
Learn more: https://arts.ufl.edu/academics/center-for-arts-in-medicine/programs/professional-development-internships/ahri-1/

🎨✨ Ready to elevate your research game?

Join us January 26 – 29, 2026, in Gainesville, Florida, for the 2026 Arts in Health Research Primer, an immersive 3.5-day experience that blends hands-on learning with expert instruction. Designed for artists, healthcare providers, community workers, policymakers, and anyone curious about arts in health research!

This program will help you:
📚 Identify measurement approaches and research methods
🧠 Define key terminology and ethical practices
💡 Build foundational skills to apply in your work or study

Register early and save 💵
Scholarships are available 💰
Secure your spot and grow your research skills in a supportive, interdisciplinary community.

🔗 Register & learn more: https://arts.ufl.edu/academics/center-for-arts-in-medicine/programs/professional-development-internships/ahri-1/

UF College of the Arts, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine