The Center was proposed and became operational in 1996, following the development of the nation’s first university-level coursework in the arts in healthcare by the Center’s co-directors at UF in 1995. Its founding co-directors were Dr. John Graham-Pole, Dr. Rusti Brandman, and Jill Sonke. The Center for Arts in Medicine was formally established by the Florida Board of Regents at the University of Florida in 1999. The Center grew from the groundbreaking clinical work of the UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine program and serves as the academic, research and outreach component of the partner programs. Housed in the College of the Arts, the Center’s mission is three-fold, encompassing education and training in the use of the arts to enhance health, research of the arts in medicine, and outreach to promote art and creativity as catalysts for healthy lifestyles. The Center provides a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration among University of Florida faculty and students, healthcare providers, clinical artists, and the local and global communities. Through its programming and curriculum, the Center serves as a national and international model for arts in medicine research, education, and programming. Since 1996, UF’s arts in medicine curriculum has grown to include the Master of Arts (MA) in Arts in Medicine, graduate certificates in Arts in Medicine and Arts in Public Health, and undergraduate certificates in Arts in Medicine, Dance in Medicine, and Music in Medicine. These programs and over 25 courses serve students who are interested in building careers that engage the arts in promoting health and wellness in healthcare and community settings. The Center's faculty engage in research to develop an evidence base for the many applications of the arts in healthcare and public health, and mentor students in outreach programs including service-learning and study abroad. For more information about the Center, please visit our website at arts.ufl.edu/cam/ or contact us: cam@arts.ufl.edu or 352-273-1488.
