Talks and Screenings

Convergence Expo: Where Art, Health, and Community Meet

Health is more than medical care—it’s shaped by where we live, work, and connect. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that social and environmental factors, known as Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), influence up to 50% of health outcomes. These include economic stability, education, healthcare access, social connections, and the built environment. Addressing these factors is key to improving community well-being.

Join Us for the Convergence Expo

April 26, 2025 | 12 – 5 PM | Plains Art Museum
This groundbreaking event brings together leaders in art, healthcare, and community work to explore how creativity can shape individual and collective well-being.

Featured National Speakers

• Elysian Koglmeier – Artwork Archive (Denver) | Board Treasurer for the National Organization for Arts in Health
• Katie Lee – Assistant Curator, Penn Medicine & Philadelphia Museum of Art

Featured Local & Regional Panelists

• Erin Shapiro – Director | CEO, Plains Art Museum
• Dr. Kasey Johnson – Resident Psychiatrist, UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences
• Anne Labovitz – Researcher, International Artist, Founder, I Love You Institute
• Dallas Tufty – FirstLink
• Alicia Hauff – Independent Artist, Former Nurse, Plains Board Member
• Siri Thaden – Accreditation Manager, Sanford Health

Experience the Convergence Expo

This is an interactive, community-driven event where attendees can:

• Join guided tours using Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to explore art in new ways.
• Enjoy local flavors from Maria’s Homestyle and other featured vendors.
• Connect with over 15 nonprofits offering resources on health and wellness.
• Experience Vanna Adventure Vans’ Mobile Medical Unit onsite.
• Participate in Therapeutic Art Facilitation sessions led by Maia Kim.
• Engage with hands-on creative activities sponsored by Unglued Market.

Why Art? Why Now?

The growing Arts in Health movement shows that creative engagement reduces stress, improves mental functioning, and fosters social connections. A 2019 WHO study that reviewed over 900 scientific publications confirmed that the arts positively impact mental health, chronic illness, and social isolation—all pressing concerns for communities with limited access to healthcare.

Inspired by Anne Labovitz’s exhibition, Convergence: Health & Creativity, the Convergence Expo builds on Plains Art Museum’s commitment to integrating art and well-being.

Be Part of the Effort

Whether you’re a community member, artist, healthcare provider, or advocate for well-being, the Convergence Expo is an opportunity to re-imagine how museums and creative spaces can contribute to public health.

Please join us! Your presence is key to making the arts a healing force for health, wellness, and innovation.

Generous support for this project provided by Art Bridges. This project is supported in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

May 8: Native Son by Richard Wright

Plains Art Museum invites you to join the eighth (8th) iteration of Critical Grooves Book Lab, where we explore four extraordinary books through the lens of art, culture, and social reflection, and their linkages to the museum’s current exhibitions. Ages 16+ are welcomed, FREE.

We begin with Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, which chronicles the Great Migration and resonates with Anne Labovitz’s exhibition exploring themes of well-being, resilience, and connection. We then move onto Percival Everett’s So Much Blue—a richly layered novel about an artist navigating memory, secrecy, and creativity—which creates a dynamic dialogue with Don Powell’s A Little Grey for Color, examining the emotional resonance of design and architecture. Gayl Jones’s The Healing, a lyrical tale of reclamation and transformation through a mysterious faith healer, converges with the energy of Jaque Fragua’s Ghost Writing, where layered expressions of history and spirituality unfold. Finally, we close with Richard Wright’s Native Son, a searing exploration of systemic inequality and structuring narratives in mid-20th century America, which powerfully aligns with Mickey Smith’s examination of history, text, and media in shaping public and private identities. Whether you’re new to these authors or revisiting their works, join us at Plains Art Museum for engaging discussions and reflections, with hot tea, hot chocolate, and/or your own snacks and beverages.

To encourage broad participation, you may acquire the selected texts through convenient means, as per your situation. Also note: Critical Grooves Book Lab selections will also be available for purchase from The Store at Plains Art Museum.

For more information and/or participation contact Dr. Kelvin Monroe kmonroe@plainsart.org.