Arts & the Mind with Lisa Kudrow

This two-part documentary exposes the powerful ways and critical roles the arts play in developing healthy young minds and keeping them sharp for a lifetime. Lisa Kudrow engages viewers by utilizing live footage from around the country showcasing innovative art programs which reveal the critical impact that dance, painting, music, poetry, and theater have on the human brain throughout life. Respected educators, scientists, performers, and other experts discuss the importance of the visual and performing arts in stimulating the mind, promoting health, and connecting communities a well as the necessity for the arts to always be present in schools. In "Creativity," the first segment, topics covered include roots of the arts, creativity of learning, improvisation and the brain, and the arts in school and after school. From the beginning of time (petroglyphs), the arts have been a part of our culture. A discussion of neuroplasticity explains the brain's constant adaptation to its surroundings. The second part, "Art of Connection," emphasizes that art is the brain's lifeline to empathy, emotions, community, mental agility, and healing. This segment focuses on the effect of the arts on groups such as veterans, people of Appalachia. and Alzheimer patients. Live documentaries highlight unique arts programs for veterans which allow them to express emotions. For the people of Appalachia, the arts provide stability across generations and community via music and storytelling. This excellent documentary is a very good choice for professional school media collections and for public library collections to advance the necessity of the arts in school and community.—Linda M. Teel, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC