In Tuesday’s (1/30) National Public Radio Elizabeth Blair reports, “ ‘Music,’ said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, ‘can, in a matter of seconds, make me feel better.’ He spoke from the Constitution Center in Washington, D.C., continuing, ‘I’ve prescribed a lot of medicines as a doctor over the years. There are few I’ve seen that have that kind of extraordinary, instantaneous effect.’ It was exactly the kind of message organizers of ‘Healing, Bridging, Thriving,’ wanted to convey. The summit was organized by the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Policy makers, arts and community leaders, funders, and artists attended. Organizers believe this was a ‘first-of-its-kind convening’ that explored how the arts can make people healthier, ‘invigorate physical spaces, fuel democracy, and foster equitable outcomes.’ In 2022, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order saying the arts are ‘essential to the well-being, health, vitality, and democracy of our Nation.’ His administration called it a ‘whole-of-government approach’ that this gathering was meant to amplify…. Just about all of the speakers and panelists at today’s summit were convinced that arts and culture should be integrated into all kinds of policy decisions, not just those that affect artists.”
