The Allentown Art Museum (AAM) was one of six U.S. museums invited to participate in “Works in Progress: Defining the Art of Wellness in Museums,” a convening of museum colleagues committed to programming that advances community health through engagement with art.

Running from October 15 to October 17, 2025, on the Crystal Bridges Campus in Bentonville, Arkansas, the convening focused participants on developing projects that center care and connection. The Art Bridges Foundation is supporting the execution of these projects with financial support as well as logistical assistance over a two-year period.

At the AAM, the connection between art and wellness begins with accessibility. “‘Accessibility’ means ensuring that all visitors have equitable access to exhibitions, spaces, programs, our website, and educational resources that we offer both online and in-person,” says Margie Makowski, AAM Manager of Museum Accessibility. “Accessibility also means being committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment where everyone can learn, find inspiration, and engage meaningfully with the Museum’s collection, programs, and spaces. Our efforts to improve accessibility across our physical spaces, digital platforms, and programming are ongoing, and we always welcome feedback from our community.”

The Art Bridges Foundation recognized the AAM and the five other institutions for doing field-leading work at the intersection of art and physical, emotional, and community health. “Each of the participating museums has demonstrated eagerness to think creatively about visitor health through their proposed projects,” said an Art Bridges press release. The other museums selected to participate in the convening were the Baltimore Museum of Art (Baltimore, Maryland), El Paso Museum of Art (El Paso, Texas), Frye Art Museum (Seattle, Washington), Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico), and North Carolina Museum of Art (Raleigh, North Carolina).

“‘Works in Progress’ represents our commitment to creating meaningful experiences with art that nurture both personal and community well-being,” said Anne Kraybill, CEO of the Art Bridges Foundation. “By bringing together teams from six museums for three days of collaboration and hands-on workshops, we’re building a case for integrating wellness into museum practice by learning from current models and innovating new approaches.”

The convening included a keynote from Arthur Cohen, founder of Arthur M. Cohen Advisors Ltd., and a presentation by Susan Magsamen, founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab), Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Cohen shared insights on the current state of museums and well-being, explored what audiences need today, and highlighted programmatic and spatial approaches that prioritize this outcome. In her presentation Magsamen showcased her evidence-based research model for using the arts to address supporting mental and physical health. Glass artist Judith Schaechter also gave an artist talk, drawing on her experience as an Artist in Residence at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics.

“In this moment of heightened awareness around wellness, museums have an incredible opportunity–and even responsibility–to develop new approaches to exhibition and program planning,” said Arthur Cohen. “I look forward to working with the convening participants to make wellness an integral part of museum practice.”

Here at the AAM we are considering expanding our highly popular Art Can program for memory-care communities and, in collaboration with the Cedar Crest College Art Therapy Program, launching new art-making initiatives for adults with disabilities. Baltimore Museum of Art staff intend to launch a social prescription partnership program using art to combat social isolation through physician-referred, nonmedical activities. The El Paso Museum of Art will use Art Bridges’ support to expand its wellness programming tailored to bilingual visitors and young people. The Frye Art Museum will grow its Art & Medicine program into a regional initiative to support clinicians, patients, and the wider community. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico will seek to enhance its programming by incorporating wellness tools such as yoga while further advancing its established collaboration in art therapy with the San Juan Capestrano Hospital. The North Carolina Museum of Art will collaborate with art therapists, health-care professionals, and health-care organizations to cocreate programs addressing mental health, neurodiversity, and community healing.

AAM staffers enjoy a break from the convening inside James Turrell’s Skyspace titled “The Way of Color” (2009); from left, Margie Makowski, Claire McRee, Rei Ukon, Elaine Mehalakes.

The five staffers who made the trip to Bentonville to represent the Allentown Art Museum were Margie Makowski, Manager of Museum Accessibility; Rei Ukon, Manager of Arts Engagement; Elaine Mehalakes, Vice President of Curatorial Services; Claire McRee, Associate Curator; and Chris Potash, Manager of Marketing & Public Relations.

Upon landing at the Fayettville, Arkansas, airport, the team was amazed to discover a welcoming gallery of art while exiting the terminal, courtesy of Crystal Bridges! Though tired from the flight from Philadelphia, all agreed that a stop in the gallery would refresh. That surprise art encounter set the tone for the days ahead, as amazing art was visible along every pathway and around every corner on the Crystal Bridges campus.

Inspired by the art, conversations with colleagues from around the country, and information and workshops presented over three days at the Heartland Whole Health Institute, the AAM team brought back many new ideas and a renewed energy for offering our community engaging programs aimed at fostering health and wellness here at home.

 


About Art Bridges Foundation
Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Founded in 2017, Art Bridges creates and supports projects that share works of American art with communities across the United States and its territories. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of more than three hundred museums of many sizes—impacting more than 25 million people nationwide—to provide financial and strategic support for exhibitions, collection loans, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local communities. For more information visit artbridgesfoundation.org.


About the Crystal Bridges Campus
Crystal Bridges Campus in Bentonville, Arkansas, features 134 acres dedicated to art and wellness. It is home to three landmark institutions designed by acclaimed architecture firms: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Heartland Whole Health Institute, and Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. Envisioned by founder and philanthropist Alice Walton, the campus unites art, architecture, nature, education, and wellness to create transformative experiences that foster learning and enhance health and well-being.


About the Allentown Art Museum
For more than ninety years the Allentown Art Museum has stimulated minds, provided essential art education and programming, and amassed an exceptional collection of meaningful artworks. In recent years we’ve been expanding and amplifying our efforts, and as of August 2022 we now provide access to all by offering free admission. Our inventive programs—most of them free—and enhanced exhibitions aim to inspire fresh perspectives, energize and empower visitors, and encourage more personal participation. As the greater Lehigh Valley’s leading visual arts institution, the AAM stimulates minds, creates inclusive spaces for people to explore and exchange world views, and provides a springboard for dynamic conversations. For more information visit allentownartmuseum.org.