Art is the remedy.

Dear Friends and Champions,?

I hope this new year finds you and yours healthy and well.? In times of overwhelm, it’s not always easy, at least for me, to stay grounded, healthy, and hopeful. As January 2025 comes to a close, I have been reflecting on how to navigate through that which is outside of my control. Time and time again, I come back to the things which keep me moving forward?- cultivating joy (music, dancing, creating something), combined with the power of a supportive community is my recipe for wellbeing.?And that, quite simply, is the work of Path with Art; our “secret sauce” as it were.?

Last year, our goal was to engage with 1,500 participants. We exceeded that by providing programs to over 1,900 low-and-no-income individuals throughout WA State, at no cost to Participant Artists. If you are receiving this email, you made this possible - through your financial support, your time, your talents, or your advocacy.??

Thank you.??

Demand for Path with Art’s programs remains high. The mental and behavioral health crisis continues to be front and center across the nation and in our backyard. But, thanks to the work of many of our partners across the country, such as Johns Hopkins International Arts + Mind Lab, and others, the world better understands what we have always known; art is a powerful remedy that supports improved health outcomes.?

Through a 2023 initiative by Representative Julia Reed, Path with Art increased our reach to individuals across the state. Our artREMEDY program, in collaboration with ArtsWA, provided?training in trauma informed arts practice to arts and health organizations and practitioners in 17 counties. Last year’s trainings were fully booked with waiting lists. Two additional trainings have been added for spring, with more to come this year.

We also exceeded our 2024 goals to build resilience through strengths-based arts for those who have experienced gender-based violence and reintegration from incarceration. And thanks to Jorge Barón, Claudia Balducci, and the King County Council, we are able to continue our commitment to addressing mental/behavioral health and trauma recovery in King County through 2025.??The remarkable results of our work are not just seen every day by our staff and teaching artists, they are statistically backed by data. In 2024, 84% of participants felt increased social interaction and reduced isolation, and 88% reported improvement in mental/behavioral health outcomes within an 8 week time period. These statistics exceed the norms for people in recovery.??I am tremendously grateful for you, for this community, and for the power of humanity that shines through the creative process - an important elixir, particularly in this moment. Our dedication and commitment to this work has never been stronger.

Thank you for joining us as we continue to see and realize change in the individuals, and communities we serve -? in spite of the overwhelm, or more accurately, as an antidote to it.?

Art IS the remedy. So are we.

With immense gratitude,?

Holly Jacobson