Center for the Arts: The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo to host the Society for the Arts in Healthcare's 20th Annual International Conference

The Center's Arts in Healthcare program and partnership with Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute to be showcased before an international audience April 22-25, 2009

The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will host the Society for the Arts in Healthcare's 20th Annual International Conference. The Conference will be held April 22-25, 2009, with the majority of events scheduled to take place at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo.

Designed to highlight best practices, innovative programs and cutting-edge research in the field of Arts in Healthcare, more than 300 students, educators, healthcare professionals and artists from across the United States, Canada, and Europe will convene in Buffalo. The conference will also highlight the work being done locally with the Center for the Arts' partner institutions - Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute - as well as the many assets of the Western New York community.

The Society for the Arts in Healthcare works to promote the arts in healthcare in order to humanize the healthcare experience and connect people with the power of the arts at key moments in their lives. A range of arts in healthcare initiatives supporting patients, families, caregivers and communities will be represented, including music, dance, drama, visual arts and literary arts programs.

Selected conference highlights include:

A conference session entitled "Arts in Healthcare: The Next Decade, Challenges & Opportunities Ahead" will be presented as a panel discussion with: Donald L. Trump, MD, FACP, President & CEO Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Paul T. Hogan, Vice President, John R. Oishei Foundation; Paula Terry, Director of the Office of AccessAbility, National Endowment for the Arts; and Naj Wikoff, President, Creative Healing Connections. In addition, Cheryl Klass, President of Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo and Vice President for Kaleida Health will be part of a panel for the "Buffalo Arts in Healthcare Showcase."

The conference will mark the launch of "Arts & Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice" published by the Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group in association with the Society for Arts in Healthcare.

A performance by Julia Sweeney in a special staged reading of her one-woman show "God Said Ha!" on Thursday, April 23 at 8:00pm in the UB Center for the Arts co-sponsored by the Society for the Arts in Healthcare. Julia Sweeney is best known for her four hit seasons on "Saturday Night Live," and many will remember her androgynous character "Pat." (note: conference registration is not required to purchase tickets to this event).

Erie County Executive Chris Collins and UB President John B. Simpson will welcome the Society's delegates at the Opening Plenary Session on April 23.

This Arts in Healthcare initiative was established by the Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo to bring the performing and visual arts into healthcare settings at Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. This is the first comprehensive program of its kind in Western New York, and is made possible by the John R. Oishei Foundation, Seymour H. Knox Foundation, and Bank of America Foundation. Support for the program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute comes from: Samuel Son & Co., Inc., The Pepsi Bottling Group, and The Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation.

The Center for the Arts is dedicated to the cultural enrichment of the University at Buffalo and its surrounding communities through the presentation of public arts and cultural events of the highest quality. Celebrating the creative process through innovative programming, the Center crosses socio-economic, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries. The Center nurtures excellence and innovation in the arts through education, presentation, community service, and research in the visual and performing arts, while broadening the base of understanding, appreciation, and support for the arts through meaningful community partnerships.

The Society for the Arts in Healthcare (SAH) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization located in Washington, DC. Founded in 1991, the Society is dedicated to advancing the arts as integral to healthcare. With over 1,700 members from around the globe, the Society advocates for the arts in healthcare through partnerships with arts and healthcare providers and related organizations; provides technical assistance through a national consultant service; convenes conferences, symposia and webinars on cutting-edge topics; offers information about model programs and best practices, including research and evaluation; and manages grant and awards initiatives that support innovative program development.

Attendance at conference events is open to the general public, but registration is required. For more information, please visit www.thesah.org. For more information on the Center for the Arts' Arts in Healthcare program, please visit www.ubcfa.org. ####

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