Research Paper
To read more about the scientific findings, please read out article published in XXX.
The Pittsburgh Project
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on wellbeing and research that identifies
pathways back to health and recovery is critical. The health effects of COVID-19 reach beyond
mortality and morbidity and include disruptions to decreased psychological wellbeing. The
global pandemic affects numerous aspects of everyday life; it has disrupted the global
economy, overloaded healthcare systems, delayed educational milestones, and disrupted the
social fabric that is critical to mental health. Thus, an understanding of widespread mental
health needs in the post-COVID-19 period is essential.
Art Heals Pittsburgh is a qualitative, participatory research study that aims to explore the role
of and the mechanisms behind the role of art initiatives and their impacts on mental health
during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Pittsburgh. The project features photography by
Justin Merriman and highlights the artwork of over 25 Pittsburgh artists who have created
works of art during COVID-19. It also features the voices of community members who have
interacted with art in several neighborhoods across Pittsburgh during the pandemic, to better
understand the role of the arts and mental health from the broader community perspective.
Virtual Gallery
We invite you to interact with the artworks captured in this project by visiting
our virtual art gallery. The gallery will take on a virtual journey through a range
of photographs that capture the artists engaging with their art form in their
studios or in an environment that inspires them across the city of Pittsburgh.
