Arthurina Fears

Arthurina Fears is the Esther Stiles Eastman Curator of Education at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and has held previous roles at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Davis Museum at Wellesley College, and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon.

Her work has included art and wellness initiatives, which include the development of contemplative museum practices such as mindful meditation experiences, connections between public art and ecology, an accessible arts program for visitors with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and research into museums as sites for healing.

She is a Museum Education Roundtable board member, American Association for Museum Volunteers board member, New England Museum Association Professional Affinity Gathering Education Co-Chair, and is an alumna of the National Art Education Association School for Art Leaders. Fears holds an MA in Art Education from Boston University and a Graduate Certificate in Art History and BA in English from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Arthurina Fears will be speaking at the Museums, Health & Well-Being Summit 2025:

An Art Museum as a Site of Sanctuary, Well-Being, and Social Connection

How can art museums contribute to a sense of well-being and social connection for our communities? The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a magical setting inviting visitors to find beauty and respite through facilitated experiences providing a suite of options, from guided gallery activities, to mindfulness, art making, music, and horticulture. Learn how we approach care for our communities to support mental health, combat social isolation and loneliness, and to foster greater connection with others, with art as a vehicle for healing.