NYU Steinhardt Hosts National Organization for Arts in Health Conference

From November 5 through 7, NYU Steinhardt was pleased to host the 9th annual conference of the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) in New York City. Every year, NOAHCON convenes artists of all disciplines, arts administrators, healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, students, and more for discussions and programming on the transformative impact of the arts on health and well-being.

Serving as the backdrop for these important conversations is a natural fit for Steinhardt, with its own academic and research interests at the nexus of art and health, including the university-wide Arts & Health @ NYU initiative.

“From our arts therapies and art education programs to our work across the community, NYU Steinhardt has spent decades exploring and advancing the intersection where you all do your vital work,” said Lorena Llosa, vice dean for academic affairs and professor of education at Steinhardt, in her opening remarks for NOAHCON. “Our faculty and students study how music therapy supports neurological recovery, how visual arts reduce anxiety in clinical settings, how dance supports physical rehabilitation, and how creative expression builds resilience in communities facing trauma.”

NYU Steinhardt also recently hosted its second annual symposium as part of the UN General Assembly Healing Arts Week, as well as last year’s Arts & Health Pre-Summit Caucus.

This year’s NOAHCON featured keynote addresses from Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, who is the founder and president of The Foundation for Art & Healing, and Ayanna Hudson, chief program officer of Americans for the Arts. Programming tracks covered several key areas, including art and design for the built environment, community health and public health, and equity and advancing well-being. 

Nisha Sajnani—professor and director of NYU Steinhardt’s graduate program in Drama Therapy; director of Arts & Health @ NYU; and founding co-director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab—co-led a presentation on the first publication in the Jameel Arts & Health Lab - Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts, a collaboration with the World Health Organization. 

NOAHCON 2025 was offered in partnership with NYU Steinhardt, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab. The conference concluded with a virtual day of programming on November 19.