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The Master of Arts in Health (MAAH) program at �������� blends online coursework with hands-on experiences that bring the arts and health together. Each student completes a professional internship designed to apply what they’ve learned in real-world settings — building creative, compassionate approaches to community wellness, healthcare environments, and arts engagement.

Learn more about the MAAH curriculum to see how coursework and experiential learning connect to these internship experiences.

These internships reflect the diverse ways our students use the arts to support health, healing, and connection across different populations and communities. See how MAAH students are making an impact through their projects and partnerships:

Susie Thompson

Visual Artist
Summer 2025

Dual Site Internship: 
and Heritage Community Clinic

Project Title: 
Caring for the Caregiver: Journal Making and Journaling for Self-Care

Passion Works provided Susie with opportunities to engage in multiple community sites such as Beacon Elementary School, Nelsonville Music Festival, and others while also engaging on site in the studio alongside artists of all backgrounds. Passion Works is highly engaged within the Athens and Nelsonville communities, so Susie was able to support numerous outreach events. While at OHIO Community Health, Susie observed and assisted with the food pantry and learned about the multitude of outreach programs that happen each week for the center. 

After completing an analysis of the site, Susie determined there was a need for caregivers to be provided opportunities to manage stress and use the arts for self-care. Susie developed her project to meet the needs of caregivers who worked in OHIO Community Health, hosting a workshop where they created their own journal books. Participants also were able to engage in journal writing based on a basic prompt provided by Susie and were able to determine if they would be able to use these experiences in the future.

Emerson (Emmie) Lancaster

Visual Artist
Summer 2025

Internship Site: 
and

Project Title: 
Community Builds Connections: A Multi-Modal Exploration of Art, Wellness, and Public Engagement

Emmie was given multiple opportunities to engage with the community through intergenerational programs, a Christmas in July event for Mercy Hospital, summer art camps, leading gallery tours for a nursing home, assisting with leading an art project for medical students from Aultman, and exploring programming at the Canton Art Museum such as a farmer’s market on site. In addition to observing, assisting, and leading various arts experiences alongside her onsite supervisor, Emmie completed an analysis of the site and identified there was a need to better inform others about the community outreach programming for the museum. She formed a collage illustrating various community outreach programs and then encouraged participant art and comments to create a Unity Wall.

Jada Gee

Theater Arts
Summer 2025

Internship Site: 

Project Title: 
Integrating Theatre into Visual Arts for a Dialogue of Well-being

Jada was able to step inside a community arts program that worked with diverse individuals and groups as a theater professional. Jada observed and participated in community art activities, learned the structure of the organization, received training in a range of topics, and created materials for the site to use about cultural responsiveness and inclusive practices. After an analysis was completed, Jada determined the need to integrate theater arts and visual arts together to provide additional opportunities for participants to be inspired and informed in their personal and artistic expression. Jada created a project that involved a interpretive reading of "The Duck" by Rhi Lloyd-Williams and the participants created a visual art piece based on their interpretation of the story. 

Jordan Mitri

Visual Artist
Summer 2025

Internship Site: 

Project Title: 
Sunshine Studios: The Maker’s Mark

Jordan gained a range of experiences working with the artists at Sunshine Studios, a vocational site for Sunshine Communities. This organization is a non-profit organization serving individuals with developmental disabilities. 

Jordan assisted with various art projects, learning about the structure of the studio and its community engagement, and assisted on outings into the community. Jordan got to know the artists very well and as part of her analysis, she determined that a need was to promote autonomy, increase confidence and individuality of the artists along with increasing the community’s awareness about the artists themselves and their role in the creation of art that is sold at the studio. 

Her project involved having artists create their own “Maker’s Mark” that was turned into a stamp. This stamp was then used to mark their individual art pieces. In addition, they all created color versions in canvas tiles of this mark that were displayed at the studio. An event for community members was held so community could meet the artists and increase their awareness about the role of the artists in the studio.