Indiana University IUPUI

The project will expand on last year’s Museum Leadership Initiative grant for Museum as Therapeutic Agents: Toward Individual and Community Health. Through the combined efforts of three museums at Indiana University, three mental health care agency programs in Bloomington, and a research group from Indiana University's Department of Recreation, the project focuses on the therapeutic impact of museums on three populations: persons living with HIV/AIDS, seniors and seriously mentally ill adults. Their work thus far suggests that a person’s connection to the artifact, together with his/her role, whether as a visitor, contributor or volunteer at the museum is therapeutic and impacts a person's self-esteem and connection to others. The partners plan to further refine these theories and tested them on additional populations. *Awarded under Museum Leadership Initiatives program - now part of National Leadership Grants for Museums