Creatives Care Dallas Launches October 24, 2025

DALLAS, Oct. 13, 2024 – The Dallas Music Office, a division of Visit Dallas, in partnership with Arete Health Shield, is proud to announce the launch of Creatives Care Dallas, a first-of-its-kind program designed to make preventive health care and mental wellness resources affordable and accessible for Dallas County’s creative community.

Creatives Care Dallas was built to support gig-based artists, musicians, filmmakers, freelancers and others whose careers often fall outside traditional employer insurance models. For $65 per month, the initiative provides access to comprehensive virtual primary care, 24/7 urgent telemedicine, behavioral health services and $0 co-pay prescriptions for the top 2,000 medications. Up to five people can be covered under a single membership.

“Our creative workforce is the heartbeat of Dallas’ cultural identity,” said Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, Director of Cultural Tourism and the Dallas Music Office. “The arts are a powerful economic engine, and it’s our responsibility to support the people who keep that engine running and amplify Dallas as a city people want to visit.”

Membership in Creatives Care Dallas is open to any creative professional who lives in Dallas County and receives 1099, contract or project-based income. Participants can enroll whether or not they currently have health insurance coverage.

The program is powered by Arete Health, a trusted health partner that manages all enrollment, billing and care. Visit Dallas and the Dallas Music Office serve as community partners and advocates but are not healthcare providers or administrators of the program.

“Creatives Care Dallas is exactly the kind of bold step we need to reimagine what access to care looks like,” said Byron Sanders, CEO of Arete Health. “Our belief is simple: revolutionary care only happens through revolutionary access. The artists, musicians and makers who pour their talent into this city deserve healthcare that meets them where they are—on terms that work for their lives. With our service, Arete Health Shield, we’re proud to stand with partners who share our vision of a Dallas where creativity thrives because the people behind it are cared for.”

In keeping with the program’s mission, each year a designated nonprofit in the arts community will benefit from proceeds from Creatives Care Dallas. The 2026 beneficiary is Amplified Minds, a Dallas-based mental health nonprofit offering free individual therapy, LGBTQIA+ support and group counseling—both virtually and in person—for adults 18 and older.

“We’re honored to receive proceeds from the Creatives Care program,” said Lauren O’Connor, President of Amplified Minds. “This support helps us provide free group therapy and vital mental health resources for our creative community—fostering safe, inclusive spaces where people can connect, heal and thrive.”

PRESS CONFERENCE:

Date: Oct. 24, 2025

Time: 10 a.m.

Where: Latino Cultural Center

Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart and Byron Sanders will speak in depth about the program, with guest speakers and special performance by Cameron McCloud of Cure for Paranoia

Background: The Spark Behind Creatives Care Dallas

When Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart first began exploring a healthcare partnership, her focus was on musicians, the community most immediately connected to her work with the Dallas Music Office. But as she reflected on her broader role leading cultural tourism, she realized that any meaningful solution needed to serve all gig-based creatives.

That realization echoed an early conversation with Cameron McCloud of Cure for Paranoia, who, when asked what he thought Dallas musicians needed most, answered without hesitation: “Healthcare.” That one word became a guiding force.

Finding a way to provide meaningful care for the city’s creative workforce became Kristina’s “why,” the throughline behind years of advocacy and program development.

When she later met with Byron Sanders, founder of Arete Health, it felt like the missing piece had finally fallen into place. Sanders had built the infrastructure, a proven model for accessible, community-centered healthcare, and Kristina had the municipality of people, an entire creative ecosystem ready to be served.

The spark for Creatives Care Dallas also came from a moment of heartbreak in the arts community. Dallas poet Rage Almighty, a gifted voice for his generation, passed away six years ago on October 13, tragically without access to affordable healthcare. That loss was a wake-up call for Sanders: if our city’s creatives, the very people who shape culture and inspire us, can’t access basic care, then the system is failing them. Creatives Care Dallas was built to change that reality, ensuring artists never have to choose between their health and their calling.

Together, they saw the opportunity to bridge those two worlds, bringing real healthcare access to the people who shape Dallas’ cultural identity every day.

About Creatives Care Dallas

Creatives Care Dallas is a community partnership initiative powered by Arete Health Shield. The program is designed to make preventive care, behavioral health, and prescription access affordable for gig-based creatives living in Dallas County. Visit Dallas and the Dallas Music Office are not healthcare providers, insurers, or administrators of this program. All enrollment, billing, and care are managed directly by Arete Health.

https://www.visitdallas.com/creatives-care-dallas/

Tentang Visit Dallas

Visit Dallas is an independent, not-for-profit sales and marketing organization contracted with the City of Dallas to promote Dallas as a premier business and leisure travel destination. The organization’s collective efforts generate positive economic impact, diverse jobs, and state and local tax revenues—benefiting the community and improving the quality of life for all residents. www.visitdallas.com.

About Arete Health<>

Arete Health is a healthcare innovation firm dedicated to revolutionizing access to high-quality, affordable healthcare for everyday people. Founded on the belief that those who care for our communities deserve better care themselves, Arete Health reimagines how healthcare is delivered and funded—prioritizing prevention, cutting-edge biotech, and innovative insurance models that lower costs while improving outcomes. To learn more, visit <>www.aretehealth.com.

About Amplified Minds

Amplified Minds is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas, dedicated to providing free mental health services to individuals aged 18 and over. The organization’s mission is to break the stigma surrounding mental health by offering accessible, inclusive, and compassionate care—particularly for those in the creative community and other underserved groups. Learn more at www.amplifiedminds.org.

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CONTACT:
Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart
kristina.hart@visitdalas.com
214.418.9229

secondary contact:
Kemi Okeowo
Kemi.Okeowo@visitdallas.com
214-693-7975