Stories from WMA

Art can harness the healing power within each of us and help bring us into community with one another.

As part of WMA’s focus on Health & Wellness programs and partnerships, the museum has collaborated with various health organizations over the years including the Alabama Head Injury Foundation, Troy University nursing program, and Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM). These partnerships work to explore the intersections of art and healing and to connect students, medical practitioners, patients, and caregivers to art, all while contributing to various health and wellness needs.

On June 7, 2023, WMA opened AIM to Heal: Selected works from medical students in the Arts in Medicine Club at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine by ACOM students, faculty, and staff, are the results of such discussions from Foundations of Modern Healthcare and ACOM’s student organization Arts In Medicine. “Art is a very healthy way of expressing yourself, it’s therapeutic. I found it was relaxing to take my mind off of other parts of my life and just put enjoyment into my art,” says Sarah Clark, a medical student at ACOM.

The ACOM Arts In Medicine club (AIM) intends to broaden the knowledge of medical students to include a focus on the interest, diversity, and therapeutic use of arts in the field of medicine.

“While we take considerable pride in becoming physicians, we also live the human experience just as our future patients are. Art helps us reflect on that experience, satisfying both healing in ourselves and also creating a space within ourselves to expand our definition of how we can promote healing and wellness in others,” said Sarah Adkins-Jablonsky, previous ACOM Arts In Medicine Club President.

WMA creates doorways to access art through health and wellness outreach opportunities. Other outreach partnerships include art and education-focused missions, local non-profit organizations, and community events or programs where WMA can be a good neighbor to Wiregrass residents.

Read more information on WMA’s commitment to lifelong learning through outreach in our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, linked here.