Arts & Health
Arts & Health is a broad framework of practices that uses the power of the arts to enhance health and well-being in diverse institutional and community contexts. The fields of arts in medicine, arts in healthcare, creative aging and creative arts therapies are just a few examples. A growing body of data and research recognizes the arts having a lifelong impact on a person’s health and health outcomes.
Participating in the arts has been shown to build healthy social connections and improve community well-being through shared purpose and experiences. The arts have been long known to build community and bring people together. “The absence of social connections and a sense of belonging in communities has been linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, suicidality, and premature death. The mortality impact is “similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity”, according to a 2023 US Surgeon General’s Advisory, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.
New Mexico Arts – Arts & Health Initiative
New Mexico Arts is facilitating collaborative approaches to developing arts-based practices that contribute to community health and individual well-being.
The Arts & Health Initiative identifies three strategic priorities: connect, convene and contribute.
- Connect: New Mexico Arts will connect partners in state government, grant makers, nonprofit health, social service and arts organizations that are addressing issues of social connectedness and belonging to improve individual and community well-being.
- Convene: New Mexico Arts will establish regular convenings and provide technical assistance to support best practices, capacity building and collaborative approaches to the challenges of social connectedness and belonging.
- Contribute: New Mexico Arts will offer Collaborative Planning Grants (see below) that address of social connectedness and belonging.
Arts & Health Collaborative Planning Grant
New Mexico Arts recognizes that thoughtful planning is essential for the successful integration of arts-based practices to improve community and individual well-being. The Arts & Health Collaborative Planning Grant will empower organizations to engage in a local planning process by offering funding and technical assistance. This process should result in a written strategy document for use in future funding proposals and project implementation.
New Mexico Arts intends to fund approximately 8 organizations that impact a broad constituency within their communities. Eligible organizations that reach populations historically underserved by the arts due to ethnicity, economics, geography, or disability are encouraged to apply.
If selected for funding, awardees are required to create a Collaborative Community Plan: Download Here
Capacity Building & Technical Assistance:
The Arts & Health Initiative will foster peer-to-peer learning, engage grantees in virtual sessions, panel presentations, and hands-on planning activities that will focus on best practices, capacity building, and collaborative approaches. Grantees will be required to consult with the Arts & Health Initiative coordinator to support planning progress and final report development.
Applicants may request a fixed grant amount of $5,000.
Matching funds are not required. The grant period is January 1, 2026- June 15, 2026.
Eligibility
Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c) (3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply.
Eligible applicants must:
- Have received a New Mexico Arts award in FY2025. Have previously submitted complete Final Invoices and Reports by the required receipt deadline(s) for all New Mexico Arts grant(s)
- Be limited to one application per organization/institution.
- Comply with state and federal legal requirements including nonprofit, tax-exempt status at the time of (All organizations must apply directly on their own behalf. Applications through a fiscal agent are not allowed.)
- If applying for other New Mexico Arts funding opportunities, ensure that the applications do not have any overlap of costs during the same period.
- Have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). All organizations who apply to New Mexico Arts are required to have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) from sam.gov in alignment with requirements from the National Endowment for the Arts.
- An eligible organization must have a minimum of one planning partner including, but not limited to, nonprofits, local arts agencies, arts service organizations, units of state or local government, federally recognized tribal communities or tribes.
How to Apply
- Review Arts & Health Initiative Collaborative Planning Grant guidelines
- Contact Arts & Health Initiative coordinator with questions
- Attend or review online Grant Info + Q&A presentation on TBD. (recording available)
- Download Collaborative Planning Grant Application from New Mexico Arts Website*
- Submit completed application via email by October 31, 2025, 5 pm MST
*Collaborative Planning Grant Application is available for download at the New Mexico Arts website here:
For accessibility questions or to request an alternate format of these guidelines and associated documents, contact New Mexico Arts at 505-827-6490 or Amy.Mills@dca.nm.gov
Key Dates
Deadline: October 31, 2025, 5PM, MST
Award Notification: December 1, 2025
Award Effective Dates Jan 1, 2026 – June 30, 2026.
FY26 Collaborative Planning Grant Guidelines
FY26 Collaborative Planning Grant Application
Collaborative Community Plan Outline
Please contact Kevin Lenkner, Arts & Health Initiative Coordinator, for questions about the Arts & Health Initiative at 505 412-5791 or kevin.lenkner@dca.nm.gov
