Aligning with America’s 250th anniversary year, the conference will bring together scholars, artists, clinicians, educators, students and community partners to learn about how the arts shape quality of life across healthcare, education and community settings.
Photo by Joseph V. Labolito
The creative arts will take center stage in mid-February as Temple University hosts its annual Arts and Quality of Life Conference, Arts Matter, bringing together scholars, artists, clinicians, educators, students and community partners to explore how the arts shape our quality of life. The conference opens with a networking reception and performance on Thursday, Feb. 12. Continuing Friday, Feb. 13, sessions will examine how artistic expression influences well-being, connection and social impact.
Arts Matter builds on the work of Temple’s Arts and Quality of Life Research Center, established in 2004 by Robert Stroker, the Joslyn G. Ewart Dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts.
“Our mission, since the founding of the AQL Research Center 22 years ago, has been to promote the unique role of the arts in making a difference in people’s lives,” said Stroker. “Our 2026 conference will showcase many of the incredible ways in which Philadelphians and Philadelphia institutions are excelling at this, whether through advocacy, inspiring social change, supporting communities, or promoting health and well-being.”
The conference comes during a significant cultural moment for Philadelphia, aligning with the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary and a year of major events in the city, including the World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, NCAA March Madness and other citywide celebrations. Within this context, Arts Matter reflects on the historic and ongoing role of the arts in building community and fostering connection.
Conference themes will highlight Philadelphia’s rich artistic legacy while examining how creative expression has long served as a vehicle for equity, resilience and social change. Featured speakers include leaders from some of the city’s most influential arts organizations, including
- Joan Myers Brown, founder and director, PHILADANCO;
- Jane Golden, founder and executive director, Mural Arts Philadelphia; and
- Laurel Raczka, executive director, Painted Bride Art Center.
Led by Wendy Magee, professor of music therapy, and Michael Zanders, associate professor of music therapy—both of the Boyer College of Music and Dance—the conference is designed as an immersive experience that encourages dialogue and engagement across disciplines through interdisciplinary sessions, explanatory performances and panel discussions.
“The conference is designed to feel less like a series of presentations and more like a shared experience,” said Zanders. “Our audience is intentionally broad, welcoming anyone interested in the intersections of arts, health and social impact. Whether participants come from academia, clinical practice, community organizations, or the arts themselves, the conference encourages curiosity, collaboration and new ways of imagining how the arts matter in everyday life.”
The conference will conclude with a live music experience led by Boyer College’s Electroacoustic Ensemble Project, offering participants an opportunity to engage with the arts in performance as well as discussion.
Conference programming begins Feb. 12, with a networking reception at Temple’s Rite of Swing Jazz Café, followed by a free performance by the Temple University Symphony Orchestra. The conference continues on Feb. 13, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Temple Performing Arts Center.
“Arts Matter is grounded in the belief that the arts are not peripheral to health and well-being, but essential to how individuals and communities make meaning, build connection and promote resilience,” said Magee. “One of our goals is for our attendees to consider how the arts, whether music, dance, theater, film or visual arts have an impact on us every day.”
