The Greater Hartford Arts Council today received $10,000 from UnitedHealthcare to support the 2016 “Arts & Wellness” grant program, which funds artistic programs that use creativity as a tool to enrich lives and enhance the health and well-being of veterans and their families.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150609006510/en/

Elizabeth Winsor, CEO, UnitedHealthcare National Accounts (right), presented Cathy Malloy, CEO, Grea ...

Elizabeth Winsor, CEO, UnitedHealthcare National Accounts (right), presented Cathy Malloy, CEO, Greater Hartford Arts Council, with a check for $10,000 to support the 2016 "Arts & Wellness" grant program, which funds artistic programs that use creativity as a tool to enrich lives and enhance the health and well-being of veterans and their families. The presentation was made at the 100 Pearl Street Gallery, which is managed by the Arts Council, where the "Veterans Art Fund: Healing Through Arts" exhibit is currently on display through July 17 (Photo: Alan Grant, Digital Creations).

The presentation was made at the 100 Pearl Street Gallery, which is managed by the Arts Council, where the “Veterans Art Fund: Healing Through Arts” exhibit is currently on display through July 17.

“The Arts Council has long wanted to pilot a grant program that focuses on the powerful connection of arts and health,” said Cathy Malloy, CEO, Greater Hartford Arts Council. “We thank UnitedHealthcare for helping make the new ‘Arts and Wellness’ grants possible and for its commitment to veterans’ well-being.”

The new grant program will support four local arts organizations in producing programs to engage veterans in creative therapy, as well as highlight issues and inspirations surrounding veterans and their families. Grants may be awarded in any of the artistic genres, including dance, visual arts and music.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to support the Arts Council’s ‘Arts & Wellness’ grants, which help fund arts-related programs to help the physical, mental and emotional rehabilitation of the men and women who sacrificed their health in the service of our country,” said Elizabeth Winsor, CEO of UnitedHealthcare National Accounts.

Intent to apply forms are due July 9, 2015, and recipients will be announced during Veteran’s Day week (Nov. 9-13, 2015). Grant recipients will present their programs throughout 2016. For more information on the Greater Hartford Arts Council or to apply for an “Arts & Wellness” grant, go to www.LetsGoArts.org/wellness.

“Hartford’s vibrant arts scene is just one of the many reasons why I am privileged to represent the City in the State Legislature. This grant will not only enrich our local art scene but will also help many brave men and women who served our country engage in therapeutic art programs. I want to thank UnitedHealthcare for its generosity and community support,” said State Representative Matthew Ritter (1st Assembly District – Hartford).

UnitedHealthcare has more than 4,000 employees in Connecticut, with more than 2,000 employees in the Hartford office. The company serves more than 470,000 people in Connecticut with a network of 50 hospitals and more than 14,000 physicians and other care providers statewide.

About the Greater Hartford Arts Council
The Greater Hartford Arts Council is the central voice for the cultural sector in our region. We secure community resources and responsibly reinvest those dollars through a stringent grant-making process into a wide array of organizations and programs that keep our community strong. We promote the arts as a regional asset and connect citizens to the arts. To learn more about Arts Council programs and services, as well as our United Arts Campaign, visit www.LetsGoArts.org or follow us @letsgoarts_org on Twitter.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for UnitedHealth Group.