EMERITUS SOCIETY FALL KICK-OFF Take Art Twice a Day

Please Join us for the Fall 2026 EMERITUS SOCIETY FALL KICK-OFF Take Art Twice a Day Talk

No charge, registration is required

When Creativity is the Prescription This talk summarizes research on a healthcare approach called “Arts on Prescription,” where people are encouraged to participate in creative activities in the community through receiving a prescription from a health professional. This is different from art therapy. Sudha Shreeniwas and Lia Miller have collaborated on Arts on Prescription through a community-engaged research partnership. We focus on older adults. Arts participation is highlighted as an effective, non pharmacological, pleasant, lower-cost approach to enhance mental well-being, reduce loneliness, and prevent cognitive decline. Studies show it improves quality of life by connecting patients to creative activities, fostering purpose and social connection, and reducing emergency room visits. ‘Arts’ are widely defined, comprising a wide range of forms including active participation (e.g. painting, playing an instrument, etc.) and receptive participation (e.g. attending a play or concert). This approach is a promising add-on to traditional healthcare at a time of increasing costs and a growing older population, many of whom face loneliness, isolation, and chronic disease. However, a recent review published by Sudha and her team shows that older persons are not the specific focus of much existing research, and study designs are not strong enough to draw robust conclusions and underpin practice and policy recommendations. 

For More Info: Fall 2026 Emeritus Society Information Document

Tuesday, August 25, 1-2:30 pm Greensboro Shrine Club 

Sudha Shreeniwas is a Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at UNC Greensboro. Her focus is gerontology, with a community-engaged research approach. One area of interest is arts participation and the well-being of older adults from diverse communities, including immigrants and refugees. She thinks it would be great if Arts on Prescription could become part of the US healthcare system. 

Lia Miller is an artist and advocate with a BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design and nearly three decades of experience at the intersection of arts and healthy aging. In 2004, she co-founded Creative Aging Network–NC (CAN-NC), a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of adults through creative expression, education, and social connection, bridging generations and cultures. She has trained hundreds of teaching artists and healthcare professionals and developed programming that challenges ageism and amplifies underrepresented voices across North Carolina.