An Rx for loneliness
Museum hopes to be a model for cultural institutions
The following article appeared in the March 9, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
A program from the Bechtler and Novant Health combats social isolation through museums, ballet and pottery classes
by Ken Garfield
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art has launched a unique initiative to help comfort the lonely, its inspiration drawn from the words of Pablo Picasso: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
In other words, says the Bechtler’s Molly Phillips, “I’ve always been a firm believer that the arts can bring people together.”
Phillips, the uptown Charlotte museum’s assistant director for education, runs Charlotte Art on Prescription. The pilot program offers those dealing with loneliness and social isolation a year’s worth of free access to participating cultural institutions.
The Bechtler hopes it can be a model for cultural institutions beyond Charlotte.
A 2025 study found that 80% of Americans exhibit some degree of loneliness. Can the arts — museums, theater, music, dance, pottery studios — fill a void in people’s lives? The Bechtler and program partner/financial supporter Novant Health believe they can.
Here’s how they’re going about it:
To qualify, participants must be referred to Charlotte Art on Prescription by one of Novant Health’s 68 behavioral health specialists working in six clinics in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Union counties. Novant continues adding to those numbers, given the growing need for mental health services. A person’s loneliness can stem from the death of a friend or loved one, divorce, job loss or any one of life’s heartbreaks. The root of the problem isn’t the focus here. The toll it is taking on people’s lives is.
Participants receive free admission or registration for a year to live performances, classes, social gatherings and other programs at the Bechtler, Charlotte Ballet, Three Bone Theatre and Clayworks, the home of all things ceramics. That includes such popular gatherings as Jazz at the Bechtler and Charlotte Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.”
Since it started in April 2025, Charlotte Art on Prescription has welcomed 40 active participants. The goal, Phillips says, is to expand both the number of participants as well as the arts institutions that are willing to open their doors and hearts to them.
‘So many a-ha moments’
The Bechtler is using the UCLA Loneliness Scale — a widely accepted measure of loneliness and social isolation — to gauge the impact of Charlotte Art on Prescription. The museum reports that 82% of the 40 active participants said they’ve experienced lower rates of loneliness since joining the program.
“We’re seeing better outcomes with our patients both mentally and physically,” said Novant Health’s Kirsten Vaca, who oversees four behavioral health clinics participating in the program. “Most research is pretty clear that social engagement and having relationships are strong indicators of health outcomes.”
Jordan Jones of Mount Holly can attest to that.
Jones, 35, works in information technology, often from home, one of more than 34 million Americans in this post-Covid reality who telework or work from home. Unable to start the day over coffee in the break room with colleagues, he says, “The connection I have with others seems to dwindle at times.”
Recommended for the program by a Novant Health behavioral health specialist, Jones has discovered a new world of creativity and community.
He enjoys performances by the Bechtler Ensemble, savoring the sound of violins and the bright colors of the museum’s art. He took his mother to Clayworks, where learning his way around the potter’s wheel, he says, has helped address negativity in his life. At one Charlotte Art on Prescription meet-up, Jones joined others in creating holiday cards. He gave the ones he made to his doctors.
“I’ve experienced so many a-ha moments that I can’t imagine life without this program,” Jones says. “I’ve come to fully appreciate the immense love and generosity of people in general. Discovering social acceptance and being part of something greater than myself resonates deeply.”
Picasso, the revolutionary Spanish painter whose words were used by The Bechtler to promote Charlotte Art on Prescription on social media, speaks of the power of art to wash away the dust of everyday life.
Jones speaks of the power of art to point him toward the future: “We have a ballet coming up.”
Charlotte writer/editor Ken Garfield is a frequent contributor to The Ledger. Reach him at garfieldken3129@gmail.com.
➡️ To learn more, visit www.bechtler.org/artonprescription or email molly.phillips@bechtler.org.
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