Compas, Inc.

Participating in the arts can change people’s perspectives, moods, relationships and overall health. It’s the proverbial apple the doctor ordered.

COMPAS makes it easy to bring the arts into medical environments.

You’ve probably heard of art therapy. Our artists are not therapists and do not use art to rehabilitate people. Rather, we engage children and adults in creativity which helps them relax, connect with caregivers in different ways, humanizes the hospital experience, relieves boredom, and gives them something to get excited about each day.

We lead art-making in group settings with inpatients and their family members or with outpatient groups, for example a cancer support group or an eating disorder group. Our performers brighten the day during lunch hours or through in-hospital studios. We also love to make art with individuals at their bedside if they're too sick to join a group.

Think you have an idea for how a COMPAS artist might be able to touch an organization, group, or community you love? It’s probably a really good idea. COMPAS works with libraries, after school programs, youth organizations, community centers, shelters, summer camps, parks, festivals and that thing you were just thinking about, too.

You can select from the many programs listed in our Artists' gallery, or we can customize a program to your specific needs. We love to get creative with how we teach creativity.

Regardless of what we come up with together, you can expect a wide range of art forms, expertise, guidance and inspiration from high-caliber teaching artists, community building, and skills building for participants.

Aging can be amazing and the arts can be a huge part of it. People who practice the arts as they age visit the doctor less, take less medication, have higher morale, and reduced rates of depression. Research is also finding that music and art stimulate the brain in areas that Alzheimer’s cannot touch, bypassing the debilitating disease and often providing relief.

You may wonder what sorts of people participate in our programs. Everyone from the active and independent to those living in memory care facilities! Our programs take place in older adult residential centers, day centers, or other community centers such as libraries. We bring the program to you so transportation isn’t an issue and participants have easy access to medical equipment they may need.

We offer a variety of programs and a selection of art forms in music, visual arts, performance and literary art and customize the experience to the interests of the participants. We also offer outstanding inter-generational programs.