UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine

02/04/2026

AIM artists and administrators had an opportunity to visit Moffitt Cancer Center's Open Art Studio, All Children's Hospital, and Creative Clay in January 🎨

AIM artist Sarah Hinds said of the visits, "It was a rich exchange where ideas and best practices were shared with enthusiasm. We all walked away inspired and invigorated. Strengthening our local partnerships is vital to the work of arts in health. A rising tide lifts all boats!" 🧡

02/03/2026

This Week on Shift Change 📻

February 4th is World Cancer Day (and National Homemade Soup Day). Hear from UF Health Oncology unit team members about their experience working in Oncology (and hear their favorite soup ingredients).
Special Feature: Andrew interviews Rayvon Rollins about his song, "Big Plans".

Tune in tomorrow!
📻 On the radio, Wednesdays from 6-7am and 6-7pm on The Wombat: WMBT 90.1 FM
📱 Online at www.wmbt901.com during the play times listed above.
🎧 On the AIM website (artsinmedicine.ufhealth.org/shiftchange)

02/02/2026

POV: You’re walking past a patient room and faintly hear the strumming of a guitar 🎶

Maggie Clifford, Arts in Medicine Practitioner, brings prolific experience in songwriting and vocal and guitar performance to the hospital setting. Maggie’s passion for supporting patients and community members in early motherhood has guided her through over 335 individual music engagements over the last six months.

Evidence supports that listening to music can lower cortisol (the stress hormone) and increase dopamine (the feel-good hormone) in the brain—an important effect for both patients, their loved ones visiting at the bedside, and their clinical care teams.

To support Maggie and the work of the AIM music team, consider donating to the Music in Medicine fund. 🧡
More information can be found on our website: https://artsinmedicine.ufhealth.org/music-in-medicine-fund/

02/02/2026

Class Update: Dance for Joy is cancelled tomorrow, February 3rd.

01/30/2026

Dance Alive National Ballet is offering a FREE 4-week "Let's Dance!" class series for children with physical and developmental special needs (ambulatory and non-ambulatory). It's a fun, inclusive program focused on joyful movement and confidence-building.

Details:
Dates: Tuesdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24
Times:
3:30–4:15 PM: Grades K-5
4:30–5:15 PM: Grades 6-12
Location: Oak View Park, 810 NW 8th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
Cost: Free
Ages/Grades: K-12

Spots are limited—early registration is recommended!
Registration link for easy sign-up: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/LETS_DANCE

Email from Dance Alive National Ballet Keeping Up! WEBSITE DANCERS CONTACT OUR TEAM OUTREACH STAFF CALENDAR   CHECK US OUT! This photo taken 2 weeks ago! Go by NW 34th Street and 39th Ave this week to

01/29/2026

We love Tuesdays at GROW HUB! 🌿🎨
Know an adult in the disability community who is interested in art-making? Join us every first Tuesday at Grow Hub from 11am-12pm for free art-making activities led by UF Health Shands AIM visual artists.
Learn more and register:
https://artsinmedicine.ufhealth.org/2026/01/12/grow-hub-community-art-day/

01/28/2026

Class Update: Encore Dancers Workshop is cancelled for tomorrow, January 29th.

01/22/2026

The Alachua County Arts Council has issued a call to artists for an outdoor, Fire Rescue–themed, public art installation at the new Alachua County Fire Rescue Headquarters and Emergency Operations Center (1125 NE 8th Ave., Gainesville).

The selected artwork will be a permanent installation that reflects and honors Alachua County Fire Rescue’s mission, which says “Public servants dedicated to enhancing and caring for the lives of those in our community through preparedness and an immediate response to any and all of life's emergencies.”

Artists are encouraged to interpret this mission creatively while emphasizing themes of service, resilience, preparedness, and community care.

The call is open to a variety of artistic disciplines, and more than one artist may be selected, subject to available funding. The total budget for this project is $75,000.

Questions must be submitted by Feb. 8 at 12:01 a.m. Artists must review and submit by Feb. 18, 2026, at 2 p.m. All proposals must be submitted through the official project portal. https://tinyurl.com/3vn9hctr

For complete details, submission instructions, and supporting documents, interested artists should visit the link above.

01/22/2026

📣 Don't forget to join us TOMORROW for a virtual info session about Perspectives on Arts in Health Journal, a new peer-reviewed publication exploring innovative research and practice across arts, health, and wellbeing. 🎨

📆 Friday, January 23 | 3 PM EST
👥 Hear from the journal’s editors and team, get insights into submission categories and the review process, learn about mentorship pathways, and discover how you can get involved — plus, bring your questions!

🔗 Free registration: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xmgm0M4nS-uhNqb7HppUyQ #/registration

UF College of the Arts, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine, International Arts + Mind Lab, Stanford Arts, Johns Hopkins University

01/21/2026

01/20/2026

🖼️Free Art-making Opportunity🖼️

Seniors in the Alachua County area with interested in a free art-making workshop series are invited to join Saee and the Harn Museum of Art at the Senior Recreation Center during the dates listed below!

Creative engagements in community are shown to lift moods and reduce loneliness. Let's get creative for the health of it!

Attention seniors, and their friends and family! We're inviting seniors to Art Beyond Walls, a 5-week series designed to spark creativity, connection and well-being. Join us on Tuesdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24 and March 3, from 2 - 4 pm at UF Eldercare of Alachua County, Senior Recreation Center for hands-on art-making sessions with Arts-in-Health Practitioner Saee Subramanian. Admission is free. Please email saee@ufl.edu to register.

01/16/2026

We heard 2016 throwbacks were trending 😉

At AIM's annual Infection Control in-service, it's not just about songs, paint and creative performance. The entire AIM team takes patient safety seriously. Seriously!