Project HEALINGS (Health Education and Adult Learning Incorporated with Navigating Government Systems) was developed as a service hub for entities serving Minnesotans disenfranchised by identity and circumstance during the pandemic. Through its connections and experience in fostering collaboration, Diversity Council convened 20 BIPOC organizations across the state to focus on responding to COVID 19 vaccine access and messaging around culturally specific hesitancies and barriers. Our workshop will focus on the cross-sector communication efforts created by Project HEALINGS which provided funds for culturally and linguistically appropriate arts and media as part of its efforts to create better vaccine access and information and address vaccine hesitancy within communities of color during the COVID 19 public health emergency. Using examples and sharing experiences, presenters will discuss how the positive connections and exploration of undervalued aspects of the human experience represented by the arts strengthened communication efforts across communities deeply impacted by COVID 19 as well as by hate related to the pandemic. As part of this discussion, use of the arts for community engagement will be explored as well as next steps for creating a narrative view of the contributions of the arts and media in strengthening vaccine outreach, health and wellness , and recovery in community.