Muses at the Weingart Center

Our supportive housing programs are more than just a place to live. They’re the key to empowered living. The community and life that our clients find with us allow them to flourish in ways they never thought possible.

One way our clients flourish is by exploring their creativity. In a study from the American Psychiatric Association, 71% of adults who reported very good or excellent mental health frequently participated in a creative outlet.

That’s why our newest development, Weingart Tower 1, has music and art spaces for our clients to use. 

Why music and art?

Music and art are valuable tools that allow people to use the creative process to delve into their emotions, develop social skills, and generate a whole array of other mental health benefits.

Art and music are inherently haptic activities. Haptics, which refers to actions related to touch and perception, allow people to engage more deeply with their emotions. By fostering a tactile connection, the arts help people better understand and feel the emotions within their bodies.

A study surveying homeless youth revealed a positive correlation between frequent attendance at a drop-in art center and the number of life achievements reported. Youth who attended the art center 26 times or more had a significantly higher average of 9.7 life achievements, such as ending drug use, securing housing, finding employment, obtaining a GED, and others.

In contrast, those with low attendance of only 4-5 visits reported an average of just 0.1 life achievements. Though the Weingart Center’s programs focus on adults, the research shows the crucial role creativity plays in creating positive changes in a person’s life.

Why we value music and art at the Weingart Center

For those who are unhoused, this haptic experience is invaluable. Homelessness is traumatizing. Deep negative emotions come with experiencing homelessness. For many, it destroys relationships and severs connections with the world around you.

By participating in a creative outlet, those who are unhoused can start piecing together their emotions, understand and process their trauma, and slowly build meaningful connections with others.

We can see tremendous strides toward empowered living by pairing many of our clients' growth through their creative outlets with our wrap-around services. Through creativity, clients simultaneously create a strong emotional and mental foundation. This ensures that when tangible steps toward independence – such as securing a job or finding stable living arrangements – are in place, our clients are in the best possible position to succeed.

Art is for everybody. It creates beauty and promotes wellness for all who experience it. By participating in creative outlets such as painting, sculpting, playing an instrument, singing, and writing, people can connect deeply with themselves and those around them. This stimulates self-awareness and feelings of community, pulling people out of their shells and bringing them together with others.

For the Weingart Center, it’s another way we help people to end the cycle of homelessness.