ABOUT ARTS PRACTICA 
Arts Practica provides arts experiences designed to nourish the creativity and equity of the relationships that co-create health, knowledge, and a better world.
The topics of our teachings include the life-giving leadership of diagnosis, how to approach uncertainty, and activating inclusive learning environments with Visual Thinking Strategies. Our approach is consistently appreciated for creating micro-cosms of learning culture that prompt groups to access new dynamics with one another, opening new ways of seeing and strengthening collective understanding.
We work with:
- Learners, teachers and leaders in the health professions, emboldening those closest to the needs of patients and communities.
- Organizations, to deliver memorable training experiences in art and to teach uncertainty wisdom to teams and leadership.
- Individuals, with coaching and writing services.
ABOUT ALEXA
A visual artist and facilitator by training, Alexa Miller is a teacher and researcher in health humanities, and a leading voice for observation and inquiry practices in medicine. An original co-creator of Harvard Medical School’s Training the Eye: Improving the Art of Physical Diagnosis, a course that produced researched outcomes on the impact of arts experiences on medical student learning, Miller is driven by a strong personal interest in misdiagnosis and clinical learning. Her study of adaptive approaches to uncertainty — as found in medicine, society, the arts, and performance — has been supported by fellowships from the Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Society for the Improvement of Diagnosis in Medicine. She founded ArtsPractica in 2011 to support physician success in uncertainty with patients, students, and organizations.
As a speaker and workplace trainer, Miller synthesizes wisdom from art, social science, personal stories, and trauma-informed healthcare to deliver key messages on technology, collaborative learning, and society. Her talks and workshops are most known for what she brings out in others with art, questions, and listening.
Miller has taught undergraduate courses at both Brandeis University and at Wellesley College, facilitated a weekly Lab Group in Yale School of Management’s Program in Interpersonal and Group Dynamics, and formerly served Curator of Education at the Davis Museum. She received her BA from Swarthmore College in Art History with extensive studies in Education and in African Studies, and her MA in Studio Painting from the Wimbledon School of Art where her artwork focused on human resilience and medical imagery. She is extensively trained in Visual Thinking Strategies protocols for facilitation and coaching and has completed courses at the Center for Women and Enterprise. She has received awards from the Creative Center for People with Cancer and the New England Museum Association.
Engage with Alexa by attending at a Salon at Interintellect, or say hi on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. To explore speaking, coaching, or organizational collaborations, get in touch.
RATINGS AND REVIEWS FROM COURSE EVALUATIONS
Consistently rated as “clinically relevant” and “enjoyable” by hundreds of medical learners over the better part of two decades.
“Phenomenal workshop. Viscerally promoted reflection, humanism, teamwork and critical thinking in medicine—and art appreciation overall. Thank you!”
“An enjoyable way to learn about how I positively and negatively affect my own diagnostic ability.”
“Wonderful, inspiring exercise in understanding the challenges of uncertainty in diagnosis and how art can be a perfect metaphor.”
“Wow! This was the best, most inspiring and well organized workshop in many years, at many meetings.”
“This course was a refreshing breather that freed my mind to think in new ways, while enhancing the way I look at my patients.”
“Opened my eyes to seeing, learning about leadership in unexpected places.”
“Demonstrative of how difficult real listening and neutrality are.”
“This course literally changed my life.”
TESTIMONIALS
“Alexa Miller’s contributions are without doubt the key determinant of our success in Harvard’s “Training the Eye” course. She is certainly among the most insightful, thoughtful, creative, articulate and effective teachers I have ever interacted with! She is, what I would call, a “franchise player” — one so blessed with teaching and effective communication skills that she brings credit to each institution lucky enough to attract her.”
–Joel T. Katz, MD, Director Internal Medicine Residency, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
“Wonderful, inspiring exercise in understanding the challenges of uncertainty in diagnosis and how art can be a perfect metaphor”
–Robert Gobbo MD. Residency Director Providence Hood River Family Medicine Rural Program
“I will encourage a neutral space for others to speak up and share ideas.” –––Shaneeta Johnson, MD
“I enthusiastically endorse the Art Practicum Workshop Series for Clinicians. Alexa is an experienced, engaging teacher who presents a dynamic workshop. I have participated in several, and I have implemented lessons learned in small group ambulatory didactic sessions for fourth year medical students. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in refreshing their skills in broad, artistic, humanistic dimensions.”
–Suzanne Sarfaty, MD, MPH, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Director, Office of Enrichment, Boston University School of Medicine
“Alexa Miller is a gifted teacher who is able to blend her extensive knowledge of the visual arts with an uncanny ability to enable students to observe in a truly open and unbiased way. She challenged my students to engage more deeply with works of art, and to reflect upon the implications for their professional practice. Alexa’s timely prompts, questions, and drawing instruction all contributed to a gradual change in the students’ interactions. The group began to look more closely and precisely, to listen more attentively to their peers and to share more freely. This carried over into a subsequent case study assignment that reflected a more robust style of observation connected to analysis.”
–Marcia Edson, Clinical Assistant Professor, Boston University
SELECT CLIENT LIST
- The American College of Physicians
- Harvard Medical School
- The Executive MBA for Physicians Program, Brandeis University/Tufts University
- Boston University: School of Medicine; Goldman School of Dental Education; Department of Education
- Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine
- The Bechtler Museum of Art
- Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
- Visual Thinking Strategies National Office
- Brandeis University: Education Department and The Rose Art Museum
- University of South Florida
- Arts Education Partnership
- Carolinas Healthcare Center
- Baycrest Hospital, Toronto
- Wellesley College
- American Society of Bioethics and Humanities
- Connecticut Mental Health Center
- Maine Medical Center
- Grand Valley State University
