The Health Museum launched the Healing Arts Program Aug. 9 with the opening of a new art gallery centered on caregivers and mental wellness.

About the program

The museum's Healing Arts Manager Rose Tylinski developed the Healing Arts Program to help artists explore the intersections of art, medicine and culture, and provide the community with an outlet for processing experiences related to physical and mental health.

The program features a variety of workshops and exhibitions throughout The Health Museum that are intended to bridge the gap between the arts and health sectors, including:
  • Hearts of Hope: A community engagement program that encourages guests to share and read messages of hope through connections at the museum
  • Paint and Process: A monthly workshop that encourages participants to explore the healing power of art through painting, drawing and collages with topics such as dreams, memories, reflections and passions
Past programs under the umbrella of Healing Arts has included rock painting to spread positive health messages to the community, the "Tree of Life" to reflect the impact of organ donations and a kite made of woven beads, each representing the creator's definition of healing.

"We really wanted to create a program that added an extra layer of connection to the community to help them process the health experiences happening in their lives," Tylinski said. "The Healing Arts Program, the vision and theme of it, is to look at how arts, medicine and culture can work together to inspire healing and more positive health behaviors. I see this program bridging the gap between the arts and health sectors."


Check this out

Coinciding with the opening of the Healing Arts Program, the museum also debuted a new art gallery that will be open to the public through February 2025.

The "Healing Hands: A Collection of Caregiver Expressions on Mental Wellness," showcases a variety of art created by caregivers to reflect their stories about what it is like to care for others. The exhibit includes 24 participating artists from Houston with 91.7% of artists being women and 29.2% from the Latinx community. Works include short essays, poems, watercolor paintings, embroidered journals and photography.

Tylinski said she believes the "The Healing Hands" gallery has opened the museum to a new network of people and expects more programming will come out of its creation.