Community Guest Blog Post: Jennifer Kuo

MY CONNECTION TO THE ARTS

Music and dance have always been a part of my life - not as roads to performance, but as sources of joy. I've never aspired to be a concert pianist or professional dancer. But I enjoyed how music and dance made me feel. As a child, I didn't know about serotonin or cortisol - I just knew that music and dance lifted my mood and eased my anxiety.

I took my Walkman everywhere, AND as soon as I started getting an allowance, I spent it on cassette tapes—my first albums were by Debbie Gibson, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey. I also loved reading, but instead of bedtime stories, I often fell asleep to the sounds of my Walkman, letting the music play until the tape clicked to a stop. 

Then throughout high school, I was known for making mix tapes for friends—mindfully curating playlists that matched their favorite genres or captured the lyrics that spoke to their latest crushes at school.

As an adult, dance has become my favorite way to stay active. It’s fun, energizing, and so I’ve prescribed myself frequent dance classes as part of my routine.

Learning choreography keeps my brain engaged, and it’s okay to forget a few steps now and then—it’s all about the process, the joy of movement, and being in community with others, not focused on perfection, product, or performance. And I believe that we hold our issues in our tissues, so movement is medicine.

I was also in a karaoke league - YES, there is such a thing! Each season, once a week, we would meet at a local bar. There were six teams, weekly themes, solo and group competitions. And it wasn't about how well you can sing, it was all about creativity with props, costumes, and choreography. Song choices and audience engagement were key elements to winning! At the end of each round, the audience would vote on a website with their phones for their favorites. These were good times! 

MY NON-LINEAR CAREER JOURNEY

Born and raised in Southern California, I obtained my Master of Public Health in Community Health Education at California State University, Northridge, and my Bachelor of Arts in Marketing/Music at San Francisco State University. I am also a certified yoga instructor, social emotional arts facilitator, and a Certified Health Education Specialist. As a lifelong learner and community connector, I am a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA), Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), and National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH). My professional journey includes past roles at TOMS®, The Walt Disney Company, and Boys & Girls Club.

My resumé might appear scattered at first glance, reflecting a wide range of roles over the past 20 years—in health and wellness, community engagement, education, marketing, and event/program planning across corporations, nonprofits, and the public sector. However, a clear throughline has always guided my work: a passion for supporting health and well-being, nurturing creativity, and creating positive social impact. Looking back, the dots connect in a way that now makes perfect sense.

And now my journey has led me here—shaped by my personal and professional experiences—and driven by a deep curiosity about how we can advance the intersection of arts and health which is what I've been focusing on for the past few years. In a world where health and well-being extend beyond medicine, the arts are emerging as a transformative force in public health. 

MY PASSIONS & PROJECTS

My involvement with multiple organizations and roles has allowed me to gain diverse professional perspectives while exploring my interests across different areas. I remain deeply committed to advancing the integration of arts and health through education, research, and practice.

As a consultant for California for the Arts since 2024, I am building out their arts and health initiative with advocacy strategies to promote access to arts & culture and arts participation as a public health priority. I’ve curated some educational webinar series and published an Introduction Guide to Arts & Health to raise awareness of the health benefits, community impact, and innovative strategies. Every year, we host an Arts & Culture Summit and Arts Advocacy Day in Sacramento, California that includes panels, workshops, and engaging in lawmaker meetings. Additionally, I am also working on ways to advance the inclusion of arts participation within health policy—positioning access to arts and cultural opportunities as both a health indicator and a health-promoting behavior, and advocating for its recognition within the social determinants (or “drivers”) of health. 

Since 2023, I have been volunteering as a research associate at the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine. In this interdisciplinary research lab, I have been able to sharpen my skills in literature reviews, data collection, and writing. I am grateful to have collaborated with amazing mixed methods researchers and contributed to two publications: “Relationships between arts participation, social cohesion, and well-being: an integrative review of evidence” and “The effects of viewing visual artwork on patients, staff, and visitors in healthcare settings: A scoping review”.    

Since 2024, I’ve volunteered with the Social Prescribing USA team, producing educational webinars and curating the monthly newsletter. This work has deepened my understanding that, alongside the arts, elements like movement, time in nature, and volunteerism all play a vital role in supporting health and well-being within the broader social prescribing movement. By highlighting individuals and organizations advancing this work, we aim to build awareness, strengthen connection, and sustain momentum across the field.  

Additionally, I serve as the Los Angeles Chapter Chair of Sisters in Public Health and as Chair of the Arts in Public Health Working Group for Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru), advancing leadership and cross-sector collaboration at the intersection of arts and public health. 

In terms of practice, I am exploring pathways to develop pilot programs in community and school-based settings in partnership with healthcare and community organizations. With all the  significant growth of the field of arts and health, challenges remain—ranging from public awareness and workforce development to program implementation, research, economic validation, and policy advancement. Yet one thing is certain: progress will require collaboration across all sectors, and the collective impact has the potential to greatly strengthen the health and well-being of our communities.

WEBSITE: https://jenniferkuo.com/ 

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlkuo

INSTAGRAM: @arts_health_wellbeing