Center Stage Arts in Health

What is Center Stage Arts in Health?

Penn State Cancer Institute doesn’t look or sound like a traditional health care facility, thanks to Center Stage Arts in Health. On any given day, you might hear live music in the lobby or watch an artist paint in a waiting area.

This innovative program offers a variety of free art-making workshops and live music performances to Cancer Institute outpatients, caregivers and staff - all designed to transform the cancer care experience. The objective is to give patients and caregivers an opportunity to relax and build community with each other, focusing on the healing power of the arts.

Professional artists from throughout central Pennsylvania share their talents by teaching workshops, painting live on-site and performing music from across all genres. Center Stage also partners with our Cancer Institute support groups to offer free art workshops designed for all levels and abilities to patients and their caregivers before their regular meetings. The workshops are not taught by therapists or offered as therapy. Instead, we choose accomplished artists who are excellent teachers and lead engaging projects in order to keep the workshops nonclinical and fresh.

Participants have the opportunity to showcase their creations from these workshops in the annual Cancer Institute publication “Vital Arts.” We also bring the arts to Caregivers Week and Survivorship Day celebrations.

Center Stage Arts in Health is based on the belief that thoughtfully chosen artistic engagement is an integral part of health and well-being.