Friday, February 6, 2026, at 6 p.m.
About:
Art as Analgesia: Reimagining Public Health Through Cultural Engagement
Join Dr. Ian Koebner for a discussion of the emerging role that cultural institutions can play in advancing public health. Situated at the intersection of curation, public health, and community practice, this talk explores how museums and other art environments can make meaningful contributions to alleviating persistent pain and fostering well-being. Drawing upon mixed-methods research, arts programming, and interdisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Koebner will explore how attention, contemplative engagement, and creative learning environments can support physical, emotional, and social flourishing. The session highlights the museum not only as a site of cultural enrichment, but as a therapeutic space capable of expanding how we understand, and design for, health in the public sphere.
Join us following the lecture for the opening reception to The Slow Sublime at 7 p.m. This lecture is presented in collaboration with the Bucknell Health Humanities Initiative.