Georgia Acknowledges the Effectiveness of the Arts for Mental Health
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
On March 31st, 2026, the Georgia House passed House Resolution 1007, “acknowledging the effectiveness of arts for health initiatives in improving mental health outcomes.” According to SaportaReport, this makes Georgia the first state to pass such a measure, a surprising achievement for a state that spends only 14 cents per resident on arts funding and ranks consistently last or near to last on arts funding in the U.S.A.
The resolution cites a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, which found that an astonishing 90% of Americans feel that there is a mental health crisis in the U.S. The resolution further cites that Georgia’s rate of anxiety and depression symptoms is 33.9 percent, above the national rate of 32.3 percent. Outside of these cited statistics, various health organizations including the NIH and the HHS have been reporting on a nationwide loneliness epidemic for several years now. Together, these statistics paint a concerning picture of our state’s mental health landscape and explain why a resolution like this was under consideration in the first place.
While the initial portions of the resolution focus on the problem of mental health in Georgia, the remainder of it goes into detail on the various means by which the arts have been proven to provide significant aid in addressing these health challenges. According to the resolution, the arts help reduce symptoms of stress and trauma, including those experienced by PTSD patients. They provide a measure of public safety by offering a safe outlet, “potentially reducing harmful and violent behaviors,” and improving the well-being of healthcare providers to help reduce the effects of burnout and foster greater emotional resilience.
The resolution does not immediately translate into action or funding, but it is an important first step. It creates a foundation on which various arts organizations in the state can build beneficial programming. It also serves as a powerful citation for finding the vital funding needed to keep these organizations running, allowing organizations to approach funding sources that might not have otherwise considered supporting an art-based non-profit.
The Art Center has been directly and indirectly attempting to address mental health with our programming, with more focus on this kind of programming in the post-pandemic landscape.
During the Covid shutdown, we organized special “drive up days” to allow families to come by and pick up art projects and supplies with minimal contact. We wanted to make art accessible to kids during shutdown and to give families a much-needed outlet. Additionally, we took stringent measures to follow CDC guidelines to host in-person socially distanced summer camps, allowing children to receive important socialization opportunities and relaxing creative activities to reduce the stress of isolation.
In the years since, we have worked with local Title I schools and places like The Drake House to send arts programming to help under-served and disadvantaged youth find creative outlets and learn new skills. In the fall, we’ll be relaunching our old Books and Brushes program, which gives materials and related books to kids who might not otherwise have access to art supplies at home.
Within our own walls, we work hard to provide free and low-cost access to arts programming whenever possible. While our main class fees help support local arts teachers and keep our lights on, we run weekly open studio time to grant free access to space, materials, and socialization opportunities for anyone in the community to enjoy. When we launched this program, it was with the growing loneliness epidemic in mind. We wanted to make sure that we could be a community “third space” and allow people to simply exist somewhere without the necessity of paying for their time here. We make sure to keep our evening open studio available throughout the year for people who need a place to unwind after work.
We are also committed to providing free access to curated gallery exhibits, numbering seven or more different exhibitions each year. Many of our exhibits have featured artwork that has been shown in prestigious pay-to-enter galleries like MOMA and the High. We have also had the great privilege to feature artists who have gone on to have illustrious careers.
In the past year we have expanded our programming to include performing arts and storytelling to give people of all ages a new outlet for self-expression and a safe space to simply play and have fun. This has included our improv and personal narrative performance classes, but we’ve also hosted intermittent free events like open improv play time, a storytelling performance, and open mic nights. These events have brought different parts of our community together to share in poignant moments and raucous laughter. At our last open mic night, we were treated to deep and meaningful stories, comedy, and music. It ended with one of the guests coming up to tell a single joke, which began a cascade of people coming up to share a joke they knew and became a magical connecting moment for the whole audience.
Beyond The Art Center’s offerings, Fulton County offers services for mental health, behavioral health crises, and similar services for Fulton County residents. Mental health is vital for overall health, and stigmas around it are finally beginning to abate. If you find that you’re struggling with loneliness or other mental health symptoms, know that you’re not alone. There is help and there is community.
