September 23, 2024 (Cape Cod, MA) – As an artist, Dr. Tasha Golden has long witnessed the power that the arts can have in addressing issues related to mental health, loneliness, depression, and our overall well-being. And on Wednesday, October 23rd at the Arts Foundation’s Creative Exchange (CX) Conference at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, Dr. Golden will deliver the keynote speech, sharing her insights on how creativity can improve health and community care.
“I always get excited for people who are engaged with the arts to think even bigger about what they do,” Dr. Golden said. “I’m hoping people might take away from my talk a sense of inspiration and motivation. If the arts can benefit people’s well-being, and it can, then this fact can inspire attendees to think bigger – to generate more ideas around what they do and the impacts it has. What are the next steps you can take in your work or life to bring the benefits of the arts to more people?”
Over the past decade, Dr. Golden has used her time, talents, and expertise to help artists, organizations, and communities apply the science of arts and health to advance well-being, connection, innovation, and positive change. With a doctorate in public health from the University of Louisville, Dr. Golden has published extensively on the many positive health impacts of art and creativity. She is also the lead author of “Arts on Prescription: A Field Guide for U.S. Communities.”
“In our work at the Arts Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand how arts and culture can benefit individuals who are living with a number of health conditions, from dementia to Parkinson’s disease to mental health disorders,” said Arts Foundation Executive Director Julie Wake. “That’s why we’re so excited to welcome Dr. Golden to this year’s CX Conference to help our community of creatives reimagine their work, purpose, and the possibilities the arts can offer.”
Dr. Golden began her career as a singer-songwriter with the critically acclaimed band Ellery, which toured internationally and had songs featured in a number of films and TV shows. It was during the band’s live shows that Dr. Golden realized the untapped potential of art. “I had songs about difficult experiences, and people would line up after concerts and share with me really personal stories about depression, or suicide ideation,” she said. “Often, I was the first person they’d shared their stories with, which of course was a profound honor for me.”
After severe burnout and depression ended her music career, Dr. Golden began pursuing her current career trajectory to connect the arts with health and wellness.
Dr. Golden, who lives in Louisville, Kentucky, was previously the Director of Research at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She is an adjunct faculty for the University of Florida’s Arts in Medicine.
She is also the founder of Project Uncaged, a trauma-informed creative writing program for incarcerated girls, and the developer of “How We Human,” a training and mental health and trauma-informed practice designed for creatives.
She has been tapped to speak at a number of conferences, summits, and universities throughout the world, including SXSW, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, POLITICO, and CogX. She also serves as a consultant for organizations: helping leaders link science and creativity to grow their work.
Along with Dr. Golden’s keynote, the CX Conference will feature a Fireside Chat between Massachusetts College of Art and Design President Dr. Mary K. Grant and Julie Wake; performances by musicians Carla Kihlstedt and Matthias Bossi of Dennis, as well as musician Katie Castagno of Eastham; and panels focused on a variety of topics, including how nonprofits can form meaningful public-private partnerships to further their work, peer-facilitated creative conversations focused on artistic growth, ways to collectively market the Cape’s creative sector, and more.
Panelists will include Cultural Center of Cape Cod Executive Director Molly Demeulenaere, multimedia artist Brittni Ann Harvey of Fall River, Nichols St. Consulting CEO Brittney Nichols, Vervaine Creative Director Alison Parker, poet John Bonanni of South Yarmouth, visual artist and author Justin Hansen of Bourne, The Mosquito producer Vanessa Vartabedian of Truro, and more.
The CX Conference is open to artists, arts leaders, individuals working in the sector, and anyone interested in the arts, and offers workshops aimed at giving attendees the skills, tools, resources, connections, and education they need to grow personally and professionally.
Businesses interested in sponsoring the Creative Exchange Conference should email Amy Tuttle at atuttle@artsfoundation.org.
The Creative Exchange Conference is being sponsored by William Raveis Real Estate, the Donald C. McGraw Foundation, South Shore Playhouse Associates, John K. & Thirza F. Davenport Foundation, the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod, Wequassett Resort & Golf Club, Cape Cod 5 Foundation, Eastern Bank, and Blick Art Materials.