Patricia Pedreira
Patricia Pedreira, Director, The Healing Arts: New Pathways To Health, Third Sector New England. Patricia received her B.A. in painting from Marlboro College and her M.A. from Lesley College in Expressive Arts Therapy. As an art therapist in the Boston area, she created multi-disciplinary arts programming for several community mental health agencies as well as established an arts-in-therapy program for an outpatient clinic in Newton, Mass. In 1992, Patricia moved to North Bennington, VT and co-founded The Vermont Arts Exchange (VAE), an arts and community development organization that provides studio-based arts education, performances and exhibit opportunities for people of all ages and incomes. Located at The Sage Street Mill in North Bennington, VAE is dedicated to bringing arts programming to people of all ages, incomes, and ability levels. A catalyst for the historic preservation of the Mill, and a community wide clean-up of Paran Creek, the Vermont Arts Exchange has become known throughout the State for its' community development initiatives that place the arts at the center of economic development, historic preservation, and neighborhood revitalization efforts through private and public partnerships. In 1996, Patricia's leadership was recognized with an arts fellowship award from the NEFA Building Community Through Culture Initiative. Patricia has served on the board of the Vermont Arts Council, as a committee member of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Culture in Community Fund and as an advisor to the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Cultural Economic Development program.
In 2004, Patricia organized a consortium of arts and healthcare organizations and developed The Healing Arts: New Pathways To Health, a regional arts and healing partnership project that utilizes the arts as a key tool to improve the health of people living with chronic psychiatric and physical illnesses and disabilities at hub healthcare sites throughout New England.
Her work has been recognized with awards from groups that include: The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), The Better Bennington Corporation, The Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Sunrise Family Resource Center.
Patricia is inspired by opportunities to work with people from different disciplines and sectors to include the arts in projects that have a positive impact on people, places, and neighborhoods. "My most rewarding work has been on local and regional projects that engage citizens and youth, and bring together varied partners from the arts, housing, community development, finance and healthcare fields to improve community health."