Arts for Health Sarasota-Manatee (AFHS-M) is a Florida not-for-profit organization in our community whose sole focus is advancing the integration of arts for health. AFHS-M is a network of artists, healthcare providers, educators, businesses, and area organizations working to integrate the arts into health and wellness for the benefit of residents and organizations, community-based as well as visitors to the Sarasota-Manatee region. AFH S-M is a community-based arts and health organization in the state of Florida. We are proud to be one of the two co-founders of the statewide organization, Arts for Health Florida, promoting and advocating for arts and health integration initiatives in our community and beyond.

Since, our beginning in 2010 (as The Coalition for Arts and Health), our network of artists and health professionals have provided dynamic arts and health educational programs for the community. These programs, advocating the importance of arts and health integration, are open to the public and include a diverse range of topics, including music; dance; drama; and visual and expressive arts.

In October 2011, The Global Alliance, at the time the national organization for Arts and Health, selected Arts for Health Sarasota-Manatee as one of only six networks in the nation to receive in-depth training to advance arts and health integration. Arts for Health Sarasota-Manatee, Inc. was the first recipient, and the inspiration, for the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County Leadership Award in Arts and Health, awarded in October 2012.