Art and Health Series


This series highlights how physical and mental health connect with visual art. From stories of artists who creatively respond to health issues through their artwork, to programs designed to promote wellness through museum experiences, Art and Health at the Nasher offers the opportunity to better understand the mind, the body, and the resilience of people facing incredible challenges.  

In-Person Events

Art and the Brain

October 16, 2019  

What is the role of art in addressing how a person manages illness? Develop your understanding of how the brain learns, how we create memories and how creativity contributes to healing. Test your own observation skills by actively looking at sculpture in the Nasher Collection. 

Presenters 

James Fleshman, M.D., FASCRS, FACS 
Sparkman Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery, Baylor University Medical Center a part of Baylor Scott & White Health. 

Daniel Krawczyk, Ph.D. 
Deputy Director, The University of Texas at Dallas Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas 

Bonnie Pitman  
Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Edith O’Donnell Institute?of Art History, and Director of Art-Brain Innovations, Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas 

Anna Smith 
Curator of Education, Nasher Sculpture Center 

 

Reaching New Heights: Overcoming Physical Limitations

October 30, 2019  

Learn how artists including Henri Matisse and Mark di Suvero reinvented themselves when faced with life-altering physical challenges and consider how hospitals are creating new opportunities for artists to contribute to the healing environment. 

Presenters 

Kathleen Bell, M.D. 
Chair, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UT Southwestern Medical Center and O’Donnell Brain Institute member 

Sandi Chapman, Ph.D. 
Founder and Chief Director, Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas  

Jed Morse 
Chief Curator, Nasher Sculpture Center 

Bonnie Pitman  
Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Edith O’Donnell Institute?of Art History, and Director of Art-Brain Innovations, Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas 

John Pomara 
Artist and Professor of Visual Art, The University of Texas at Dallas 

Anna Smith 
Curator of Education, Nasher Sculpture Center 

 

The Power of Art: Creating through Disorders of the Mind

November 6, 2019  

Explore the late works of Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Willem de Kooning, Yayoi Kusama, and Isa Genzken among others who remained prolific creators of art while experiencing different forms of mental illnesses. Find out how other artists have coped with mental illness through their work and consider the benefits of arts programs that serve patients with similar challenges. 

Presenters 

Leigh A. Arnold, Ph.D.  
Associate Curator, Nasher Sculpture Center 

Mark Goldberg, M.D.  
Professor, Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement at UT Southwestern Medical Center and O'Donnell Brain Institute member? 

Ann Marie Warren, Ph.D., ABPP
Co-Director of Trauma Research at the Level I Trauma Center at Baylor University Medical Center, at Baylor Scott & White Health? 

Bonnie Pitman  
Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Edith O’Donnell Institute?of Art History, and Director of Art-Brain Innovations, Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas 

Anna Smith 
Curator of Education, Nasher Sculpture Center 

 

Seeing with the Brain: Artists and Visual Impairment

November 13, 2019 

Discover how artists like Claude Monet and Georgia O’Keeffe responded to a loss of sight and hear firsthand from a contemporary artist how visual impairment affects his work. Learn how multi-sensory encounters with art can enrich the experiences of both sighted and non-sighted learners.  

Presenters 

Catherine Craft, Ph.D. 
Curator, Nasher Sculpture Center 

Stephen Lapthisophon 
Artist and Educator 

Niraj Rama Nathan, M.D.  
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology at UT Southwestern Medical Center 

Bonnie Pitman  
Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Edith O’Donnell Institute?of Art History, and Director of Art-Brain Innovations, Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas 

Anna Smith 
Curator of Education, Nasher Sculpture Center 

 

Virtual Events

The Cultural Impact of Pandemics 

September 16, 2020
Bonnie Pitman, Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History, and Director of Art/Brain Innovations, Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas, examines the historical, cultural, and economic impacts of pandemics on society dating back to the Plague of Justinian in 541 CE. 

View on YouTube

Mindful Observation Workshops

Mindful Observation Workshops explore ways to integrate wellness and mindfulness meditation techniques with art experiences. Mindful observation is perfect for those who enjoy looking at art and are curious about the practices of meditation including attention, intention, sensory awareness, and ways to quiet the mind and be still. 
Staying in the Moment and Seeing in New Ways / September 30, 2020 
Nurturing Relationships / October 7, 2020  
The Power of Playfulness / October 21, 2020 


Partners


Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health
Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas
Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at The University of Texas at Dallas
UT Southwestern Medical Center/Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute