Bechtler Museum of Modern Art launches Charlotte Art on Prescription Program in partnership with Novant Health

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Novant Health announce an innovative partnership to combat loneliness and social isolation through art experiences. Led by the Bechtler Museum, the new Charlotte Art on Prescription program will provide qualifying participants, referred by Novant Health professionals, with one year of free access to arts programming and cultural experiences across Charlotte.

The program — the only of its kind by a museum in the U.S. — comes in response to the U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 report highlighting that 50 percent of adults experience considerable levels of loneliness. Through Charlotte Art on Prescription, healthcare providers can now prescribe arts engagement as a pathway to building meaningful social connections and improving overall wellbeing.

"The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art has long recognized art's power to bring people together and foster genuine human connection," said Todd D. Smith, Executive Director of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. "Through this groundbreaking partnership with Novant Health, we can now extend the healing and community-building aspects of arts engagement to those who need it most."

The program offers participants access to museum programs, live performances at partner performance-based organizations, and art-making classes. Participants must be recommended by a Novant Health professionals and attend initial meetings at the Bechtler Museum of Art. The program will measure its impact through periodic participant surveys.

"The health and wellbeing of patients is at the forefront of all we do at Novant Health, and we know that a strong community is vital to ensuring mental wellness thrives," said Dr. Sid Fletcher, senior vice president and president of Novant Health's Charlotte region. "This innovative program represents a new frontier in addressing social determinants of health through cultural engagement. We are proud to be partners of Charlotte Art on Prescription and believe that its impact will be felt for years to come."

Molly Phillips, the museum's Assistant Director for Education, developed this program and will lead the museum's efforts. This program joins other innovative education and community engagement programs at the museum, such as its community-based PreK art and creative aging programs.

About Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, a gem in the Southern art landscape and in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, is devoted to modern art and its legacies. The cornerstone of its holdings are works by European and American artists collected by the Zürich-based Bechtler family and gifted to the museum by Andreas Bechtler and his family, who have long called Charlotte home. Represented here are some of the most influential figures of 20th-century modernism, including Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Barbara Hepworth, Pablo Picasso, Bridget Riley and Andy Warhol, among others. Opened in 2010, the museum is focused on the global scope of modernism and its continued relevance, with changing exhibitions that feature both well-known and underrepresented modern and contemporary artists. The museum building, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, features Niki de Saint Phalle's iconic Le Grand Oiseau de Feu sur l'Arche (The Large Firebird on the Arch) on its entrance plaza. The Bechtler also serves as a hub for live music, artist talks, cocktail hours for young creatives and family events. For more: www.bechtler.org.

About Novant Health
Novant Health is an integrated network of more than 850 locations, including 19 hospitals, more than 700 physician clinics and urgent care centers, outpatient facilities, and imaging and pharmacy services. This network supports a seamless and personalized healthcare experience for communities in North Carolina and South Carolina. Novant Health is nationally recognized for our unwavering commitment to safety and the highest quality care, and we serve as a catalyst for healthcare transformation through clinical trials, leading-edge research, innovative care delivery models and robust virtual care networks. The expertise and empathy of our 40,000 team members along with more than 8,300 independent and employed clinicians are at the heart of Our Cause as industry leaders caring for communities across the Carolinas. In 2023, Novant Health provided more than $1.6 billion in community benefits, including financial assistance and services.

For more information, visit NovantHealth.org. Follow Novant Health on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Bechtler Museum of Modern Art