The second year of the innovative cross-disciplinary program harnesses NYU’s wide ranging expertise to explore our understanding of health and well-being.
The arts contribute to our health and well-being in myriad ways. Music and dance can calm, energize, and connect. Storytelling promotes empathy and understanding. Visual arts can heal trauma and enhance cognitive function.
This year, for the second iteration of the innovative Arts & Impact initiative, NYU’s deep roster of faculty, artists, and researchers turn the spotlight on the intersection of arts and health to explore new and creative ways to benefit our communities.
Beginning this month and continuing through the 2026–27 academic year, the Arts & Impact initiative will sponsor exhibitions, events and scholarly activities that spark dialogue and imagine a better, healthier future. On tap this month are a conference with musician Jon Batiste coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly Healing Arts Week, a contemporary art exhibition highlighting optimism, and a storytelling workshop commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
“The year-long program showcases NYU’s unique ability to foster collaboration across boundaries,” says Elise Cappella, vice provost for University-wide Initiatives and Graduate Education. “Through ‘arts colliders’ and public engagement, our multifaceted arts and health communities will be building new knowledge and expanding opportunities to thrive.”
The initiative begins with three key programs:
The Best of All Possible Worlds: a contemporary art exhibition in the Gallatin Galleries. Running September 10 through October 17, the exhibition features flowers, kittens, and unicorns presented in an environment bathed in pink and pastels. The exhibition explores the notion that the future is ours to make. The gallery will host a sound bath and guided meditation with singing bowls, chimes, and other instruments on September 14 at 5 p.m. ET and September 19 at noon.
Echoes & Reflections: A 9/11 Commemoration and Story-Sharing Workshop: led by NYU Steinhardt’s Verbatim Performance Lab to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11. With the aid of archival and artistic materials, participants will explore how they remember the past and pass down memories, and they will contribute to a collective reflection of a tragic moment. The interactive event will be held September 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Kimmel Center.
Evidence to Action: The Launch of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab–Lancet Global Collection on Arts and Health: featuring a keynote performance and conversation with musician Jon Batiste. Set for September 22 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., the conference at the Skirball Center includes panels and discussions with global leaders of medicine, art, and creative therapies.
Introduced last year, Arts & Impact emphasizes the social impact of art by connecting the arts to one another and to fields as diverse as medicine, education, and engineering. NYU’s global network, cutting-edge programs, and strong industry ties position it to explore these ideas. Each year, the program addresses a new multidisciplinary theme. This year’s health and wellness theme follows last year’s focus on how music invites us to build connections and reimagine the world.
Peggy McGlone
(212) 998-6829
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