International Arts + Mind Lab

Inside San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, walls once defined by concrete and confinement are becoming canvases of hope and transformation. Through SkunkWorks, incarcerated residents collaborated with Faith XLVII, a South African artist known for community-inspired murals around the world, to bring new life to the prison’s walls. San Quentin SkunkWorks — co-founded by Kai Bannon, Niki Kircher, and Kyle Winchell — is a nonprofit social innovation lab testing bold ideas for reform. They have launched a series of community-oriented projects inside San Quentin, with the mural initiative Project Chiaroscuro: Light Within the Shadows at the heart of this work. Read more about how art is transforming San Quentin here: https://lnkd.in/eyrRuCEp

The Pedersen Foundation NeuroArchitecture Collaborative is a global research initiative in partnership with HKS, Inc., ANFA - Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, the Milken Institute, and the International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics (IAM Lab). The Collaborative is supporting Project WHY, led by HKS, which focuses on understanding the "why" behind how the built environment impacts the human brain, including human perception, performance and well-being. This crowdsourcing call encourages the community at large to share their ideas and images about how space changes us. Insights from Project WHY will help the public, designers, and scientists better understand how the built world influences the brain. Outcomes aim to improve cognitive performance, well-being, and deeper human connections. We invite you to participate by sharing photos of spaces that made you feel awe, a sense of belonging or creative energy and the moment that made you feel that way. Share your photo and story at hks.onl/ProjectWHY Your contribution will help researchers uncover how design shapes human experience Please only share images that you have taken yourself and fully own. Images will be used only for research purposes — never sold or used commercially.

In this week's guest blog post, Laura Henderson, Head of Program at Frontiers for Young Minds (FYM), shares how the journal is bridging science, art, and education to make cutting-edge research accessible to young audiences. Through its unique model, where kids aged 8-15 review real research, the journal makes science engaging and relevant. One of the earliest Young Reviewers, now studying post-graduate neuroscience, shared how Frontiers for Young Minds opened new doors for her future: “I really wanted more science in my life... and got to see behind the scenes. It was cool to be part of how science works and give constructive criticism. … 100% it cemented my foundation in neuroscience, teaching me to process scientific language. FYM enables kids to enjoy starting to learn how the world works.” Researchers, clinicians, and educators interested in interdisciplinary science education can explore opportunities to mentor Young Reviewers or contribute to Frontiers for Young Minds, complementing the Neuroarts Resource Center’s efforts to bring neuroaesthetics to wider audiences. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eNDKC2hj

Music therapy is increasingly being used in hospitals to support patients during painful or stressful treatments. This article highlights how music can be a powerful complement to traditional medicine in promoting healing and wellbeing, with a focus on the experiences of patients, clinicians, and researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital. By aligning music with a patient’s physical responses, music therapists can help regulate breathing, heart rate, and overall comfort. This approach not only eases pain but can also help to restore a sense of control and humanity in clinical settings. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eXyzQbPB

In this week's guest blog post, Laura Henderson, Head of Program at Frontiers for Young Minds (FYM), shares how the journal is bridging science, art, and education to make cutting-edge research accessible to young audiences. Through its unique model, where kids aged 8-15 review real research, the journal makes science engaging and relevant. One of the earliest Young Reviewers, now studying post-graduate neuroscience, shared how Frontiers for Young Minds opened new doors for her future: “I really wanted more science in my life... and got to see behind the scenes. It was cool to be part of how science works and give constructive criticism. … 100% it cemented my foundation in neuroscience, teaching me to process scientific language. FYM enables kids to enjoy starting to learn how the world works.” Researchers, clinicians, and educators interested in interdisciplinary science education can explore opportunities to mentor Young Reviewers or contribute to Frontiers for Young Minds, complementing the Neuroarts Resource Center’s efforts to bring neuroaesthetics to wider audiences. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eNDKC2hj

I have been excitedly waiting to share this announcement! As we collectively work towards creating more career pathways for students in the diverse field of neuroarts, we are very fortunate to have incredible thought partners from higher ed institutions around the world:

What Happens in the Brain When We Experience Art? When people engage with art that feels meaningful to them, the brain’s default mode network, associated with self-reflection and inward focus, becomes active. This activation shows that art appreciation is not just about perceiving shapes, colors, or sounds, but also about connecting them to personal meaning. This APA Monitor on Psychology article underscores how deeply art shapes human thought, emotion, and identity. Neuroaesthetics research demonstrates that both emotional and cognitive processes are at play, weaving together perception, memory, and self-awareness. Aesthetic experiences may promote positive outcomes such as empathy, social connection, and cross-cultural understanding. The article is available here: https://lnkd.in/eZavVFXX

What Happens in the Brain When We Experience Art? When people engage with art that feels meaningful to them, the brain’s default mode network, associated with self-reflection and inward focus, becomes active. This activation shows that art appreciation is not just about perceiving shapes, colors, or sounds, but also about connecting them to personal meaning. This APA Monitor on Psychology article underscores how deeply art shapes human thought, emotion, and identity. Neuroaesthetics research demonstrates that both emotional and cognitive processes are at play, weaving together perception, memory, and self-awareness. Aesthetic experiences may promote positive outcomes such as empathy, social connection, and cross-cultural understanding. The article is available here: https://lnkd.in/eZavVFXX

We are excited to announce the launch of the Neuroarts Academic Network (NAN). The NAN is a new global academic network that will focus on the transformative power of the arts in health, learning, and across society. Developed as part of the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative—a collaboration between The Johns Hopkins University and The Aspen Institute with funding from The Music Man Foundation—the Network’s goal is to make the core principles of neuroarts part of the established academic and professional career opportunities across disciplines including the arts, health, basic sciences, public health, architecture, design, education, business, community development, and more.    Informed by a Working Group with members from over 35 public and private universities and institutions from around the globe, the Network seeks to connect existing programs and support sustainable and rigorous growth of the field through research, training, and career development. We invite you to learn more about the NAN and its Working Group. https://lnkd.in/eFSuP4D7