“I Felt Worth something”: Sustainable Funding for Social Art as an Emerging Best Practice for Public Health

From 2021 to 2023, the Pima County Health Department earmarked 1% of its pandemic relief funding to support a partnership with the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona for a social art initiative in five communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Community participants worked with artists to represent their experiences during the pandemic and their hopes for the future. The resulting art installations were unveiled at county-wide art and wellness events. As part of program improvement, an informal pilot evaluation was conducted and participant self-assessments showed high satisfaction, increased confidence in health care access, and appreciation for the impact of public art on social cohesion and belonging. Lessons learned from working in low-trust communities include the importance of removing barriers to participation, recruiting locally, and anticipating critics. The allocation of dedicated funding through a percent-for-social-art approach should be considered an emerging best practice for public health departments to improve health, support social cohesion, and build trust after a sustained traumatic event.