At the Peace and Justice Institute’s 8th Annual Conference, Creating a Resilient Community: Arts for Thriving!, United Arts of Central Florida President and CEO Jennifer Evins shared a message that sits at the heart of United Arts’ work: creativity is not reserved for a few. It belongs to everyone.
Drawing from Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, Evins invited attendees to rethink what creativity looks like and where it lives. It shows up in painting and music, but also in cooking, movement, color, and community. Art, she emphasized, is not a luxury or an extra. It is essential to human health, connection, and well-being.
That belief shapes how United Arts serves Central Florida.
Across the region, United Arts is expanding access to the arts not only as a cultural resource, but as a tool for wellness, resilience, and community care. By funding artists and organizations and building partnerships across sectors, United Arts continues to explore how creativity can support healthier, more connected communities.
One example is United Arts’ growing work in the arts and aging. Through the Creative Aging program , United Arts is partnering with Share the Care, Senior Resource Alliance, and AdventHealth to bring meaningful arts experiences directly to older adults in adult day health settings. The first cycle included courses in drumming, clay, visual poetry and collage, and global dance. Each class is designed with accessibility in mind, including for seniors navigating memory care and physical challenges, and is led by professional teaching artists experienced in working with older adults.
United Arts is also advancing this work through a newly awarded 2026 South Arts Cross-Sector Impact Grant. With support from The Pabst Steinmetz Foundation and additional funding from South Arts, United Arts is launching a Social Prescribing pilot program in partnership with Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida. The initiative connects pediatric patients and their families with arts and cultural experiences that support well-being and long-term engagement with creativity, offering a new way to integrate the arts into healthcare and community wellness strategies.
Together, these efforts reflect a broader truth: when communities invest in the arts, they invest in people.
Evins’ remarks underscored why this work matters now. The arts can calm us, connect us, and help us heal. They create moments of joy, expression, and belonging. And they play a meaningful role in building a more resilient and compassionate community.
At United Arts of Central Florida, we believe creativity strengthens people, communities, and our shared humanity. Through partnerships, programs, and advocacy, we are working to ensure more people across Central Florida can experience the benefits of the arts in their everyday lives.
The Social Prescribing program is funded by The Pabst Steinmetz Foundation, with additional support from a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
