The Bronx, NY
Scroll to learn more about The Bronx’s Arts For EveryBody project
The Bronx, NY
Scroll to learn more about The Bronx’s Arts For EveryBody project
The Bronx
On July 27, Urban Health Plan (UHP) brought back “Fiesta San Juan,” a time-honored, daylong community celebration to highlight the deep connection between the arts and health in the Bronx borough of New York City. “Fiesta San Juan Presents Arts for EveryBody” kicked off with a parade, led by a local marching band, delighting community members and inviting them to join the fun. Event goers spent the day at UHP’s main site, El Nuevo San Juan Health Center, where music and dance performances by hip hop and rap artists as well as merengue, salsa, swing and Bengali dancers entertained all day long. Bronx residents enjoyed cooking demonstrations, visual arts exhibitions, conversations on social prescribing, and community art classes led by local artists and UHP Arts for EveryBody's partners both indoors and outdoors.
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From hip-hop to street art, spoken word to fashion, the Bronx has served as a model of creativity, vibrancy, and artistic expression for people around the globe. Yet, the borough has struggled through many challenges, with many neighborhoods ranked among the most underserved congressional districts in the Country. The COVID-19 pandemic created even greater disparities, leading to mental distress, social isolation, and increasingly worse health outcomes for many. Urban Health Plan (UHP), a system of Federally Qualified Health Centers, is leading an exciting, one-of-a-kind Arts and Wellness initiative that aims to improve the health and well-being of patients through the power of art! Within the walls of their health centers and through provider prescriptions to art and wellness experiences in the neighborhoods where patients live, the goal of UHP’s Arts For EveryBody program is to revitalize their communities by bringing joy, unity, and hope back into people's lives.
Stories
Meet The Team
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Christine Licata
Arts Consultant
Christine Licata is an arts consultant, independent curator, arts writer, and cultural worker, specializing in the integration of arts and culture with healthcare. Committed to the transformative power of the arts in promoting holistic well-being, she advocates for meaningful connections between artists and healthier communities. Leveraging her expertise, Christine passionately supports arts-led social justice activism initiatives that contribute to the thriving cultural landscapes and vibrant people in The Bronx and beyond.
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Andrea Sofía Matos
Arts & Wellness Coordinator, Urban Health Plan
Born and raised in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Andrea Sofía Matos is a curator and arts administrator. She is a recent graduate from the Visual Arts Administration MA program at New York University (2024) and received her BA in Art History and Photography from Florida International University (2021). Andrea has collaborated with organizations such as the Latinx Project, Taller Boricua, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Bronx Art Museum, Puerto Rico Art News, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, LnS Gallery, The Margulies Collection, The Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA), Locust Projects, and more.
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