Edinburg Selected as one of 18 ‘Arts for EveryBody Communities’
One Nation/One Project’s Arts for EveryBody will unveil audacious, participatory public art in collaboration with 18 small towns and big cities putting a spotlight on the proven health benefits of arts participation
September 12, 2023 – Inspired by the 1936 Federal Theatre Project where 18 cities and towns presented their own interpretations of the anti-fascist play “It Can’t Happen Here,” Arts for EveryBody will bring together people and communities in 18 cities and towns across America to simultaneously premiere an array of large-scale, site-specific participatory art projects on July 27, 2024, but the journey begins today.
Responding to the prompt “No Place Like Home,” each art project seeks to reflect the unique voice of its community, and through participation, impact the overall health of the community.
Located in a county that was once a Covid hotspot, the City of Edinburg in collaboration with local artists and health partners will showcase the community’s resilience, color, and artistic richness through inspiring message murals throughout the city and community-based art programs that promote health and well-being.
Upcoming classes will serve as the foundation for the programming at the City’s Art, Culture, and Event Center scheduled to open in June 2024. The ACE Center will be in the heart of the City’s festival grounds and will serve to showcase the community’s rich Mexican culture and traditions while embracing and celebrating its growing diversity. The initiative will culminate in an Art & Wellness festival that promotes health and well-being, social connectedness, and a sense of belonging.
“Working with Arts for EveryBody has brought clarity to our vision of prioritizing the arts in Edinburg and has helped jumpstart plans to produce a creative workforce. Artists in our community will find support, resources, and opportunities to be successful entrepreneurs, teachers, and established partners,” said Letty Leija, director of Library & Cultural Arts, City of Edinburg. “Participants can expect to find a welcoming, safe space where everyone can learn and grow through the arts, whether it be through classes, workshops, community festivals, or by attending performances and exhibits. These supports and events, along with partnerships with local health professionals, will reshape the fabric of our community and create a foundation for lifelong wellness.”
Arts for EveryBody is co-directed by national arts leaders Lear deBessonet, Nataki Garrett and Clyde Valentin and seeks to bring about a new awareness around the value arts can have on the health of people and their community.
deBessonet, Garrett and Valentin see Arts for EveryBody as a breakthrough moment in the relationship between the arts and health in the U.S. “Arts for Everybody aims to create an electric new awareness around the value arts can bring to the actual health of people and their community. Our hope is that the Arts for EveryBody experience will spark emotions that connect participants to their communities and each other,” said the co-artistic directors of Arts for EveryBody.
Existing research has already confirmed that taking part in the arts…
- Lowers one’s risk of dementia by 63%
- Offers health benefits comparable to weekly exercise
- Improves physical and mental health
- Can significantly reduce one’s risk of cardiovascular disease
Arts for EveryBody has commissioned a series of new research studies to further examine the connection between arts participation and the health of a community.
To learn more about Edinburg’s project and the entire Arts For Everybody initiative, visit www.artsforeverybody.org.