After 15 years of leading Lifetime Arts, our beloved and tremendously visionary co-founder and CEO, Maura O’Malley will be officially “rewiring” at the end of this year. No, that isn’t a typo. Rewiring is an alternative to retiring. It underscores that as we age and move through different life stages, we continue to learn, create, and try …
Category: Blog
New Initiative Catalyzes State-Level Partnerships to Advance Creative Aging in Western States
Cross-sector, state-level partnerships are key to sustaining and ensuring access to creative aging programming, especially for older adults in rural communities. Research shows that these arts education programs contribute significantly to healthy aging and increased social connection. The Advancing Creative Aging in Westerns States Initiative, launched in 2023, is designed to deepen and sustain collaboration among state agency partners to advance creative aging in the Western region. Currently the Initiative includes partnership teams in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah. These teams include leaders from state arts agencies, state libraries, and state veterans services, and will expand to include aging services and health and human services.
Lifetime Arts Co-Founder Named 2024 AARP Purpose Prize® Award Fellow
Lifetime Arts is thrilled to announce that its Co-Founder/CEO, Maura O’Malley, has been named a 2024 AARP Purpose Prize® Award Fellow. The AARP Purpose Prize® Award is a national recognition that honors a select group of people aged 50-plus who have proven that they are using their knowledge and life experience to make a difference. As part of this award, Lifetime Arts will receive $10,000 and a year of technical support to help deepen and expand its creative aging work nationally.
Cross-Sector Training Highlights: Building Leadership & Investment
This summer, Lifetime Arts had the opportunity to train hundreds of teaching artists, library workers, museum educators, and arts organization staff in Missouri, Wyoming, Hawaii, Tennessee, and Arizona as part of our major projects Advancing Creative Aging Through State Library Leadership and Vitality Arts Project for Art Museums and in partnership with the Phoenix Center for the Arts, Indiana Arts Commission, and Creative Aging in Memphis. These creative aging leaders will go on to impact the lives of more than 3,500 older adults in this year alone. Below are training highlights and reflections.
Remembering Ann deVere: A Passionate Artist, Teacher, and Community Builder
We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Ann deVere, a veteran teaching artist, architect, and Lifetime Arts Trainer. As a native New Yorker with a visual arts concentration in printmaking, Ann taught classes and workshops in public schools, cultural centers, and arts organizations throughout NYC, in addition to implementing arts programming for all ages. Throughout her teaching artist career, she engaged her students in critical discourse, concept development, and creative problem solving — all the while drawing upon their imaginations. Her students developed a sense of their own capabilities, discovered their ideas have value, and learned how they can enrich the environments around them.
Lifetime Arts Announces the Promotion of Heather Ikemire to Executive Director
Lifetime Arts proudly announces the promotion of Heather Ikemire to the position of Executive Director. Heather’s promotion coincides with Lifetime Arts’ 15th anniversary year as a national service organization for creative aging. With her leadership, the organization is poised to launch a new phase of programming and cross-sector collaboration to accelerate the impact of creative aging nationwide.
Creative Aging Programs Foster Friendships & Creative Liberty for LGBTQIA+ Community in Utah
Learn more about two innovative programs implemented via a partnership between the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Utah Pride Center and explore more creative aging programs and resources that support the needs and interests of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Public Libraries Supported as Community Anchors for Positive and Creative Aging
A total of 132 public and county library systems in Missouri and Wyoming will develop and/or expand arts education programs that improve the lives of older adults (55+) through the Advancing Creative Aging Through State Library Leadership Initiative (2023-2025). In partnership with the participating state libraries, Lifetime Arts will train and coach up to 250 librarians and library programmers in creative aging program planning, design, marketing, implementation and documentation. A total of 100 in-person and remote creative aging programs will serve up to 2,000 older adults in Wyoming and Missouri public libraries and build the case for long-term sustainability.
2022: The Year in Review
If there's one thing that we can take away from our collaborative work in 2022, it's that responsive, purposeful, and accessible arts education programming is a foundational pillar for lifelong learning. This work can only be achieved when every older adult is seen, valued, creative, proud, and part of a community. We couldn’t have accomplished this work without the abundant support of our staff, trainers, partners, and funders.
NASAA Initiative Serves as a Creative Aging “Bedrock” for State Arts Agencies
From 2021-2022, Lifetime Arts trained and coached nearly 1,000 teaching artists, librarians, and community-based organization staff across 22 states on building creative aging programs, partnerships and practices via the National Assembly of State Arts Agency’s (NASAA) Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging Initiative.
Our final training sessions with state art agencies in Oklahoma and Nebraska concluded in October. In November, Lifetime Arts staff and members from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and Ohio Arts Council presented the impact of this initiative at NASAA’s 2022 virtual Creative Aging Institute. Read on to learn more about these engagements and how state art agencies are building on the success of this initiative
Lifetime Arts Extends Capacity-Building Efforts with State Arts Agencies in CT, DE, UT + MI
This fall, we trained 100+ teaching artists, library programmers, arts council staff and stakeholders through continued partnerships with the Connecticut Office of the Arts, Delaware Division of the Arts, Utah Division of Arts & Museums and Michigan Arts and Cultural Council. Our work with these state agencies builds on projects they launched with Lifetime Arts’ support through the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies’ (NASAA) Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging Initiative (May 2021-September 2022).
Creative Aging Lessons Learned From the U.S. to Singapore (Audio + Transcript)
In October, Maura O’Malley, Lifetime Arts’ CEO/Co-Founder, and Annie Montgomery, Senior Education Designer & Trainer, presented creative aging best practices, participated on a panel discussion with local organizational leaders and artists, and facilitated a 4-hour Creative Aging Foundations Workshop at the Arts and Ageing Forum 2022: The Future of Arts and Ageing in Singapore, hosted by the National Arts Council (NAC) of Singapore.
In a featured interview, Maura and Annie share their experiences participating in this international event. They share their insights about the arts, culture and aging scene in Singapore, and share moments of learning and collaboration with local community artists and educators on how they engage older adults in lifelong learning educational programs. Maura also envisions how we can collectively share creative aging practices and resources internationally to succeed the common goal for universal lifelong learning opportunities.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements + Networking Events in NY, OH and FL
This October, Lifetime Arts will be participating in a series of virtual and in-person engagements for arts and aging professionals in New York, Ohio and Florida. We will deliver presentations on a variety of creative aging topics for students, older adults, artists and arts educators and network with professionals in the arts and public health sectors. Read on to learn more about these opportunities.
Lifetime Arts to Present Creative Aging Best Practices at Arts & Aging Forum in Singapore
On October 7, 2022, Maura O'Malley, Lifetime Arts' CEO/Co-Founder, and Annie Montgomery, Senior Education Designer and Trainer, are invited to participate as leading creative aging experts in the in-person event, Arts and Ageing Forum 2022: The Future of Arts and Ageing in Singapore, hosted by the National Arts Council (NAC) Singapore. Maura will present Lifetime Arts as the featured keynote, participate in a live panel discussion with local industry leaders, and co-lead an interactive workshop with Annie.
Lifelong Learning in the Arts with NYU Alumni Changemaker Maura O’Malley (Audio + Transcript)
This year, Maura O'Malley, Lifetime Arts CEO and Co-Founder, was named a NYU Alumni Changemaker for her 40+ years of experience in the arts and public sector, specifically for creating infrastructure around sustainable and anti-ageist arts education programming for older adults nationwide.
In this interview, Maura discusses her life in the arts and public sector; how she overcame challenges and obstacles in pursuing this work; and how she received buy-in from stakeholders. Maura also discusses how she envisions positive growth in the creative aging field and how it intersects with equitable, lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Highlights: Visual + Performing Arts Programs in UT + NY
Creative aging program highlights from Utah and New York State.
A Creative Kind of Summer in the City via the Brooklyn Public Library
Since May, 15 virtual and in-person programs have been offered throughout Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) branches and the Library's Services for Older Adults (SOA) department as part of our Brooklyn Digital: Connecting Through Creative Aging initiative supported by The New York Community Trust. The most recent series brings the total number of older adult participants in this initiative to nearly 1,000.
Connection & Collaboration at State Arts Agency Training Events
In May and June, 2022, Lifetime Arts provided nearly 40 hours of training and professional development services (in-person and via the Lifetime Arts Portal) to over 200 state arts agencies, museum staff, and teaching artists across the country as part of the national and statewide initiatives Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging and Advancing Creative Aging in Arizona's West Valley. Below we share some highlights from these professional development opportunities and emerging partnership opportunities this fall.
Heather Ikemire Joins Lifetime Arts as Deputy Director
In July, Lifetime Arts welcomed Heather Ikemire as Deputy Director. Drawing on 20+ years of experience in arts education and nonprofit leadership, Heather is responsible for Lifetime Arts’ field building and advocacy work.
American Alliance of Museums Reinforces Creative Aging Arts Education Model at Annual Conference
From May 19-22, 2022, museum and arts educators from across the U.S. reunited in-person at the American Alliance of Museums' Annual Meeting & Museum Expo in Boston, Massachusetts to explore and address the pressing issues, challenges, and opportunities that museums are facing today.
During the conference, Lifetime Arts delivered the workshop, "Creative Aging: Paving the Way for Lifelong Learning," to museum leaders and educators. Lifetime Arts also participated on a panel which featured our museum programming partners.
Creative Aging Around the Globe with Maura O’Malley (Audio + Transcript)
In spring 2022, Maura O’Malley, Lifetime Arts’ CEO/Co-Founder, was a featured speaker at two international conferences: MuseumConnections Paris where she presented, “Social Impact: Engaging with Older Adults,” and Ageing Artfully: Going Global, organized by the Creative Ageing Development Agency (CADA), where she presented, “Connecting Through Creative Aging: Social Distancing ≠ Social Isolation.” Maura was joined …
Lifetime Arts Works with 21 State Art Agencies to Increase Capacity for Creative Aging Programs via NASAA Effort
n the Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging Initiative supported by E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, Lifetime Arts partnered with the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies to grow their creative aging programs, practices, and partnerships with 21 state arts agencies across the country. In this post, teaching artists and organizational staff share their insights on the impact that our training has made in their practices, institutions, and communities. Additionally, the Lifetime Arts team shares insights on working with our partners and trainees.
Wyoming State Agencies Partner with Lifetime Arts to Provide Accessible Creative Aging Programs in Rural Communities
In the Creative Aging in Wyoming Public Libraries Initiative, Lifetime Arts partnered with the Wyoming State Library and Wyoming Arts Council to implement creative aging programming in 23 county libraries throughout the state. In this post, we highlight some examples of creative aging programs that were offered through this initiative, and share insights from library program coordinators, older adult participants, and the Lifetime Arts team.
Remote Creative Aging Programs Addressed Social Isolation in 7 New York Counties During Pandemic
The New York State Creative Aging Initiative, an innovative partnership between The New York State Council on the Arts, The New York State Office for the Aging, and Lifetime Arts launched during the middle of the pandemic concluded in February 2022. Lifetime Arts trained and coached staff members from 7 area agencies on aging and nearly 70 New York state based teaching artists to plan, design, and implement 14 remote creative aging programs throughout the state.
Brooklyn Digital Initiative Serves as a Remote, Anti-Isolation Program Model for Public Library Systems
advancing arts education programming in Brooklyn public libraries — has proven to serve as an anti-isolation remote program model for public library systems.
Creative Aging Programs Centered in Black Cultures Enrich Connection & Community in Museums Across the U.S.
The following are examples of programs offered in museums across the U.S. — during and immediately prior to the pandemic — in which teaching artists centered their curriculum in Black cultures and history and/or taught media inspired by Black and Brown artists.
How We Build Capacity of State Arts Agencies + Partners
In recent years, Lifetime Arts' work has focused largely on state, system, and sector-wide capacity building initiatives. In this post, we provide an overview of our training and executive coaching engagement on this front from July through mid-October.
Programming Roundup: State Agencies, Urban Library Systems, Museums, & Arts Organizations
A run-down of creative aging work we have been doing with state agencies, urban library systems, museums, and arts organizations around the U.S.
Thriving Better Together: Creative Aging & Resilience Series
In April, Maura O'Malley, Lifetime Arts' co-founder and CEO, was joined by fellow creative aging practitioners in the virtual series, "Thriving Better Together: Creative Aging & Resilience."
In-person, Virtual, Onsite, Offsite, and Blended: Making Responsive Programs Happen for Older Adults
In this post, we highlight a series of programs that are happening this summer as part of new and ongoing creative aging initiatives.
Insights and Excitement: State Arts Agencies, Partners, & Artists “All-In” on Creative Aging
"What has been fascinating to me ... is that each arts agency — whether with a staff of 10 or 100 — has embraced this opportunity with serious, strategic and passionate effort," said Maura O'Malley.
Fifteen Wyoming Public Libraries to Receive Financial Support for Creative Aging Projects
Fifteen Wyoming libraries will soon offer arts-based programming that will enrich the lives of older adults (55+) in their communities through the Creative Aging in Wyoming Public Libraries Project. The project is made possible through a partnership between the Wyoming State Library, Wyoming Arts Council, and Lifetime Arts with funding from the Wyoming Community Foundation and the May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust.
Combating Ageism in a Socially Distanced World
On February 10, Lifetime Arts Director of Education, Annie Montgomery, and Pushcart Prize Nominated Poet, Mary Moore Easter, delivered the virtual workshop, “Combating Ageism in a Socially-Distanced World,” during Roowork, an online learning series hosted by the National Guild for Community Arts Education.
14 Community Arts Ed Organizations Receive Seed Grants for Creative Aging Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 16, 2021 CONTACT Jenina Podulka, National Guild for Community Arts Education jeninapodulka@nationalguild.org nationalguild.org Shannon McDonough, Lifetime Arts smcdonough@lifetimearts.org Research shows participatory arts learning for older adults provides significant wellness benefits critical to counteracting social isolation New York, NY—The National Guild for Community Arts Education and Lifetime Arts are pleased to announce that …
Artwork Marks, Reflects, and Celebrates Life
I decided to look around our apartment to see which of the things that I own have real meaning to me and that I would miss if I lost them. In most cases, it’s the art on my walls. In all cases it’s not just the pieces, but what they represent, that holds meaning for me.
Lifetime Arts to Deliver “Combating Ageism in a Socially Distanced World” in Rootwork Series
On February 10, 2021, Lifetime Arts' Director of Education, Annie Montgomery and Pushcart Prize Nominated Poet, Mary Moore Easter, will present the virtual workshop, "Combating Ageism in a Socially Distanced World," during the National Guild for Community Education's online learning series, Rootwork. During the workshop, participants will learn how creative aging arts education programs combat ageism and are a pathway to reconnect older adults to one another, and to their communities in the midst of the pandemic.
“Peace 4 the Ages” Forges Intergenerational Bonds During COVID-19
Earlier this year Michael Matthew Ferrell, founder of Alive & Kickin’, a touring vocal ensemble of older adults “who rock,” collaborated with Sandy Boren-Barett, the CEO and Artistic Director of Stages Theatre Company, an educational theatre program for children and youth, to create the intergenerational music program, “Peace 4 the Ages.” The program paired older adults and …
The Creative Aging Resource Website: An Online Hub for an Emerging Field
Lifetime Arts is proud to launch The Creative Aging Resource website (http://www.creativeagingresource.org), the first dedicated place on the web to offer artists, community educators, program administrators, senior service professionals, and funders a browsable directory of hundreds of hand-curated pieces of research, media, case studies, experts and organizations related to the field.
Keeping Generations Connected at New England Conservatory
When the pandemic initially hit, NEC knew they had to quickly adapt to a virtual world and maintain the connection between their older adult students, faculty, college students and community partners. Faculty and staff addressed this head-on and transitioned their two older adult music programs to a responsive and interactive virtual format.
My Love/Hate Relationship
I started re-evaluating my relationship with Zoom. It wasn’t Zoom’s fault. Zoom had been loyal and reliable. I didn’t want to leave Zoom for another platform, just another medium, like, maybe a book. As I was about to engage Zoom with the, “It’s not you, it’s me” approach, I had a realization; zoom is the only thing that gives me a connection, however tenuous, to other people.
Online Choir Program Retains “Friendships, Solidarity and Community”
Since March 2020, the CMC has developed several new ways to adapt their Older Adult Choir Program (OACP), which serves nearly 400 older adults in senior centers throughout San Francisco, to a successful online learning platform. To keep their dynamic choir communities connected during COVID-19, the center worked with their senior center partners to create remote instructional videos and zoom sessions.
Lifetime Arts to Offer “Creative Aging During COVID-19” at Louisiana Arts Summit
On September 30, Lifetime Arts’ Director of Education, Annie Montgomery and Education Associate, Julie Kline, will deliver an interactive virtual session on the topic of creative aging programming during COVID-19, part of the 2020 Louisiana Arts Summit and hosted by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge in partnership with the Louisiana Division of the Arts.
Creative Aging in Wyoming Public Libraries Initiative Adds Seed Grant Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Shannon McDonough Lifetime Arts smcdonough@lifetimearts.org This innovative collaboration promotes wellness and combats social isolation through anti-ageism training and community-based arts education programming. NEW ROCHELLE, NY: Today, Lifetime Arts announced that in addition to the professional development training for teaching artists and library programmers previously announced as part of the Creative Aging …
Lifetime Arts to Deliver, “Creative Aging During COVID” for Mid-Atlantic Region Teaching Artists
On August 25, Lifetime Arts' Education Associate, Julie Kline, will deliver the virtual workshop, "Creative Aging During COVID," part of the 2020 Mid-Atlantic Teaching Artists Virtual Retreat. This event will take place via online video conferences over a period of four weeks, from August 10 through September 2, 2020.
“Tell me about a time when you were resilient.”
For the past three years, teaching artist, Dane Stauffer, has been teaching his storytelling programs to the same group of students at the Park Square Theater in Minneapolis, MN. Dane was in the middle of teaching his program when COVID-19 forced the theater to close. With Park Square Theater’s blessing, Dane shifted his program to an online format and reclaimed it as, “Storytellers Online: Bringing Our Stories to the World.”
Stagebridge Explores an Infinite Digital Landscape
When COVID-19 forced teachers and students to shelter in place, Stagebridge’s programming was between sessions. Staff were able to take this time to decide how to proceed with their popular Performing Arts Institute, and discovered that the digital shift to online learning could be the next step to building their community of artists and older adult learners.
Finding an “Oasis in the Abyss”
Teaching Artist, Susan Willerman, was teaching her workshop, “Writing From Life” at Morningside Retirement and Health Services in Washington Heights, NYC before COVID-19 halted her teachings. With the help from one of her students, Susan shifted her memoir workshop to an online format, allowing her students to maintain connection and inspiration through writing during the crisis.
The Home/Body Warm-up for Homebound Times
Lifetime Arts Roster Teaching Artist, Greacian Goeke, has been teaching her signature class, “Free to Move: Expressive Movement & Rhythm for Brain & Body Health,” at the Albany Senior Center outside of Oakland, CA for the last 10 years. When COVID-19 forced the Albany Senior Center to shut down and in-person programming and live performances to disband, Greacian immediately reached out to her students to continue her weekly movement classes via Zoom.
The Theatre of the Now
To me, not wasting time means not wasting the opportunity to create something. So if we’re trying to write NOW for the theatre, are we writing for what theatre is now or sometime in the (hopefully not too distant) future? Why can’t we do both? There are many theatre makers who are working hard to keep the medium alive in any way they can — some more successfully than others.
Working Through Ageist Views with Others Helps
This a personal reflection on ageism written by Lifetime Arts' Director of Education, Annie Montgomery. This article was originally published in the National Guild for Community Arts Education's Guild Notes, 2020, Issue 1.
Myriad Ways to Tap Older Adults’ Creativity and Combat Social Isolation
While our campaign, “Connect Through Creativity Now,” highlights teaching artists, arts and service organizations working within the traditional Creative Aging model (sequential learning, skill-building, social-engagement) while stay-at-home orders prohibit in-person social gatherings, there are a number of other efforts emerging that warrant mention. Below are several examples of others working outside the traditional model, who …
Online Storytelling Class at The Wallis Retains Intimacy of In-person Workshop
Debra Pasquerette, teaching artist and Manager of Community Engagement at The Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts in Beverly Hills CA, was teaching, “Staged Stories,” a storytelling/memoir program when the crisis forced her to cancel the culminating event. Debra designed a new extended curriculum that stretches well beyond the original eight week series that allows students to meet every week through a two-hour Zoom session.
Teaching Artist’s Students are on His Mind
Teaching artist and Lifetime Arts Trainer, Vinny Mraz, was teaching his third "Comedy Workshop" to students at the Wartburg in Mt. Vernon, NY, before he had to disband the class due to the COVID crisis. While the program is on pause, he continues to share his appreciation for his students by painting their portraits and sharing them on his Instagram.
DOROT’s Online Arts Ed Programs “Put the Light Back into My Heart”
When the COVID crisis hit, DOROT was determined to continue serving their community members, who have come to appreciate high-quality arts programming and social interaction with their friends and staff. In just one month, DOROT was able to move all of their onsite programs to what they are calling DOROT Onsite @Home via Zoom video conferencing.
Creative Aging Partnership in Wyoming Receives Funding
Wyoming Arts Council Receives $20,000 Grant from the Wyoming Community Foundation for Creative Aging Training in Partnership with the Wyoming State Library and Lifetime Arts The Wyoming Arts Council is pleased to announce the receipt of a $20,000 grant from the Wyoming Community Foundation’s McMurry Library Endowment Fund. Through a partnership between the Wyoming Arts …
Greenwich House Brings Classes Online, Launches Virtual Art Show
“I think Zoom is a good platform because our members have the option to call in [by phone] — even from a landline,” said Laura Marceca, Director of Greenwich House Senior Center on the Square. Laura has been thrilled to see that classes are very well attended and are attracting new students.
Online “Pop-Up Pages” Workshop Offered to Older Adults in Queens, NY
MAKING A POP-UP MEMORY PAGE with Spica Wobbe & Karen Oughtred | PART 1: Materials and Tools | Making the Base Page Queens, NY is one of the most international places in the world. The Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts have set up a program called FTH at Home: Global Arts for Global …
Final Critiques and Closure via Google Hangouts in San Juan
The Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, part of the Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums Cohort, were at the end of their self-portrait program when COVID-19 impacted in-person programming. With two classes left unfinished, the museum's staff and teaching artist joined forces to design and implement an online session which gave students the opportunity to socially engage with one another, share their culminating work, and end the program as a community.
Teaching Creative Aging Classes Online: 1. Troubleshoot, 2. Don’t Sweat the Details
“We're all doing this really new and hard thing by trying to translate in person experiences to the virtual platform,” he says, “Don't stress yourself out trying to make it perfect. Be upfront with folks about the experiment of it and leave space for them to give feedback.”
Connect Through Creativity Now: Social Distancing Doesn’t Have to Equal Social Isolation
From my own work creating original theater with, and about, the real lives of older adults, I know firsthand that the research is correct. It is the social interaction part of arts education that is of the greatest physical and mental benefit to older adults.
Hello in There: A Reflection on COVID-19 from Maura O’Malley
John Prine died this past week — a victim of Covid19. "Hello in There" is being performed and shared again, and is a potent reminder of the toll this pandemic is taking on older adults in particular — and it is a call for us all to reach out.
What to Do?
These days that indecisiveness is compounded by being thrust into a situation that has no precedent, for which there is no handbook, and has no end that anyone can see. The future is always a mystery and not knowing is always part of the equation in trying to figure out your life moves. But this is off the chart unknown.
The “Young Lady” Treatment
I recently read a guest column on Next Avenue written by Karen Grassle, who played Caroline Ingalls on the "Little House on the Prairie" TV series that ran from 1974-1983. Her story focused on how younger people she encountered negated her age, meaning it as a compliment.
Julie Kline Joins as Education Associate
Julie co-facilitates Lifetime Arts’ trainings across the country, assists with the design and development of training curriculum, and supports all of Lifetime Arts' education efforts.
A Balanced Life: Creative Aging and the Serious Leisure Perspective
A while back in this column, I took the position that art-making wasn’t just about “fun,”...science has confirmed my musings.
“A Storied Life”: A New Generation of Digital Storytellers Emerges
In January, at the culminating event for, “A Storied Life,” a 12-week digital storytelling workshop offered by the Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) in partnership with The Knolls, a Bethel Community, eight filmmakers — all aged 55+ — wowed a packed screening room with digital film shorts depicting personal stories of love, loss, and discovery. …
2019: The Year in Review
This year marked a turning point in our work and in the Creative Aging movement. More and more organizations and agencies across the country have realized that arts education for older adults isn't about filling empty time, it's about creativity, community-building, wellness, and helping people realize creative potential.
Celebrating a Very Talented Extended Team
Lifetime Arts is humbled to acknowledge the contributions of our small, full-time professional staff who lead Education, Programming, Digital Media, Project Management, and Operations efforts in support of our work in the burgeoning field of Creative Aging. We are also very fortunate to be able to attract and retain top talent to work with us …
A “Play in a Day”: An Intergen Theatre Experience
With attention spans and the willingness to make and keep commitments seeming to be on the decline, I suppose it’s to be expected that we’d see the advent of “instant theatre,” or the 24-hour play projects. While I’ve seen these promoted in some New York City Off-Off Broadway theatres, the concept has come to Westchester …
Two-Year NYC Creative Aging Initiative Training Concludes
In this, the second and final year of the New York City Creative Aging Initiative, Lifetime Arts delivered nearly 20 free, in-person training sessions, networking salons and webinars to hundreds of NYC teaching artists, arts organization and senior center staff members. These training events were designed by our Director of Education, Annie Montgomery, to not only share …
Boston Creative Aging Program Highlights
Earlier this year, Mayor Martin J. Walsh along with the Age Strong Commission and the Office of Arts and Culture announced a partnership with Goddard House Community Initiatives and Lifetime Arts that has brought free participatory arts programming to older adults in the city’s Jamaica Plain, Mattapan and South End neighborhoods. The Creative Aging Program (CAP) …
National Efforts Prove Arts Ed Vital to Lifelong Learning
Public funding for the arts at the state and national levels has always supported arts education. Historically, that has meant funding programs serving the k-12 population. Shortly after we launched Lifetime Arts more a decade ago, two state arts agencies, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, expanded …
Participants 55+ Share Their Journeys Through Clay (Videos)
This month, the Union County Historical Society and Heritage Museum held their culminating event for the workshop, Journeys Through Clay, part of the Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums Initiative. The program was funded by E.A. Michelson Philanthropy and training and technical assistance was provided by Lifetime Arts. Below are videos that captured the workshop, which featured …
Gov. Cuomo Announces Creative Aging Initiative to Support Physical and Mental Health of Older New Yorkers and Combat Social Isolation
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of a three-region Creative Aging Initiative to provide hands-on art-making programs that support comprehensive physical and mental health benefits for older New Yorkers and combat social isolation. Created by a new partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Office for the Aging, the Creative Aging Initiative takes an innovative, evidence-based approach to healthy aging, underscoring New York's leadership as the first age-friendly state in the nation.
Lifetime Arts Featured in Inaugural Creative Aging Track at National Guild Conference
To meet the growing demand for Creative Aging programming across the U.S., for the first time ever, the National Guild for Community Arts Education introduced a Creative Aging Track at their 82nd national conference held recently in Austin, TX. The Conference brought together more than 700 leaders and educators from all backgrounds to share knowledge, …
2019-2020 Catalyzing Creative Aging Cohort Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 22, 2019 Arts education programs designed to engage the vitality of older adults New York, NY—Twenty nonprofit arts education organizations from 13 states have been selected to participate in the third cohort of the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s Catalyzing Creative Aging Program. This multi-phase program is provided in partnership with …
Creative Aging Experts Address Ageism at Grantmakers in the Arts Conference
On October 15, the National Guild for Community Arts Education presented the professional development workshop, “Age Equity: The Impact of Ageism on Arts Funding and Programs,” at the 2019 Grantmakers in the Arts Conference: Cultural Intersections in Denver, CO. Adam Johnson, Chief Operating Officer at National Guild for Community Arts Education, moderated the workshop, which also featured …
City of Boston Announces New Creative Aging Program
Arts programming throughout the City to be tailored to older adults BOSTON – Friday, October 11, 2019 – Mayor Martin J. Walsh along with the Age Strong Commission and the Office of Arts and Culture today announced a partnership with Goddard House Community Initiatives and Lifetime Arts that brings free arts programming to older adults …
Debra Pasquerette
Debra Pasquerette, teaching artist and Manager of Community Engagement at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, CA, has worked with people of all generations across the community. She later shifted to working with older adults and developed a passion to pursue Creative Aging programming in her community. As part of …
Where Do I Belong: Finding the Right Place to Retire and Create
I’ve never lived more than thirteen miles away from Yankee Stadium. As I enter my “third act” I’m feeling psychologically ready to retire, which impels me to ask the question, “Where do I want to live?” I’ve spent parts of the last 16 summers in the Berkshires. The Berkshires is a highland region mostly located …
NASAA Leadership Institute Features Creative Aging Experts
On September 18-20, Aroha Philanthropies and Lifetime Arts presented, “Collaborations in Creative Aging,” at National Assembly of State Arts Agencies’ 2019 Leadership Institute, hosted by Rhode Island State Council on the Arts in Providence, RI. In 2016, Aroha Philanthropies developed a major multi-year initiative, Seeding Vitality Arts (SVA), to seed creative aging programs nationally. Using a learning cohort model, Aroha and its …
Lifetime Arts Trainer Selected to Join the 2019 Creative Community Fellows Cohort
Lifetime Arts Trainer, Vinny Mraz, has been selected to join the fifth international cohort of National Arts Strategies (NAS) 2019 Creative Community Fellows for his crucial work in creating stronger and more inclusive communities through arts and culture. In addition to being a trainer for Lifetime Arts, Vinny is a playwright, teaching artist and theater maker …
50 More Minnesota Artists Trained in Creative Aging Program Model
On July 29 and 30, Aroha Philanthropies and the Minnesota State Arts Board offered the third in a series of Creative Aging trainings for teaching artists working in all arts disciplines. The event, held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, was designed to equip teaching artists with the skills to design and teach successful, skill-based, …
Lifetime Arts Deputy Director Joins National Arts Leadership Cohort
Now in its tenth year, the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute (CAELI) program, offered by the National Guild for Community Arts Education in collaboration with Partners in Performance, Inc., provides an intensive and transformative experience, designed to hone and advance member leadership skills and effectiveness by engaging seasoned and emerging leaders with top leadership trainers, …
A Tug of WAR: Work, Aging and Retirement
An article by Jill Smolowe in Next Avenue posed the question: “Do we slow down because we retire? Or do we retire because we slow down?” Ms. Smolowe described her life in “retirement” and it sounded like anything but retiring. She described her current life as consisting of volunteer work, exercise, meditation, getting together with …
10 Arts Organizations Receive Seed Grants To Launch New Creative Aging Programs
The National Guild for Community Arts Education and Lifetime Arts are pleased to announce that 10 nonprofit arts education organizations from 9 states have been selected to receive seed grants of $7,000 each to support the launch of new, innovative arts education programming for older adults in their communities. The population of older adults in …
Catalyzing Creative Aging 2019-2020 Applications Now Open
Our population of adults over age 55 in the U.S. is rapidly growing, and research shows that participatory arts education programs for older adults foster positive aging and healthier lives. To support the establishment of new programs like this at Guild member organizations across the country, the National Guild for Community Arts Education is …
Wired for It: How Music Making Benefits the Older Adult Mind
In Next Avenue‘s most recent Vitality Arts Report, I came across an article championing the benefits of music making to older adults. To anyone who has read, “Ed Talks,” or spent any time on the Lifetime Arts website, this is not news. What I found more dramatic as I explored the report further, was the …
Robin Bady
Lifetime Arts’ Roster Teaching Artist and award winning storyteller, Robin Bady, has been teaching theatre, writing and storytelling for as long as she can remember. Her career began with teaching children in schools and later branched out to teaching in libraries, theaters, parks and senior centers. In 2012, Robin was awarded the National Storytelling Network’s J.J. …
Summer Creative Aging Training Roundup
Lifetime Arts conducted training events in May to support the arts organizations, teaching artists, and senior center staff offering Creative Aging programming in NYC as part of the NYC Creative Aging Initiative, made possible through the generous support of the New York Community Trust, and offered in partnership with the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College and LiveOn …
Majoros Selected to Join 2019 CAELI Class
Lifetime Arts’ Deputy Director, Nathan Majoros, has been selected to join the 2019 class of the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute (CAELI), a leadership program designed for individuals in the nonprofit arts education sector and run by the National Guild for Community Arts Education in collaboration with Partners in Performance, Inc. Nathan is one of …
Stories About Stories: Diversity and Complexity at Two Memorable Memoir Events
As we at Lifetime Arts always note, no two Creative Aging programs are the same. They are shaped by the teaching artists, the participants, and the venue. This past year, our initiative, Creative Aging in Westchester County, supported by the Westchester Community Foundation, resulted in five new programs including two that focused on memoir writing. …
Innovative “School of Drag” Event Mixes Generations and Gender Performance
“We compartmentalize our community, and particularly when it comes to age, this begins early on in our lives. We are missing huge opportunities for intergenerational knowledge to be shared in a reciprocal experiential way that provides the space for connection and empathy in ways that traditional educational experiences do not. I would say that things …
U.S. Museums Receptive to Creative Aging Programming
On Monday, May 20, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) held a panel titled, “Artful Aging: What Museums and Arts are Learning from Each Other about Creative Aging” during their annual conference in New Orleans. Ed Friedman, Executive Director at Lifetime Arts moderated the panel which also featured Annie Montgomery, Director of Education at Lifetime …
“Performed by the People Who Lived It”: Theatre 55 Stages Shows Older Adults Want [VIDEO]
I’ve written in this space about the pleasure of not being condescended to as an older adult in an acting company made up of much younger theatre artists. My most recent experience acting in the Red Monkey Theatre/M&M Production of Chekov’s, “The Seagull” was very positive, but the reality is, engaging parts for older actors …
Lifetime Arts Co-founders Recognized as Teaching Artist Allies
On Friday, May 17, the Association of Teaching Artists (ATA), the oldest, independent organization serving teaching artists in the country, held its 2019 Awards ceremony in New York City, to honor artist educators who have made a significant impact on the field of Teaching Artistry and to kick-off Teaching Artist Appreciation Week (May 20-27). Lifetime …
Older Americans Month: Connect, Create and Contribute with Creative Aging
Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s observance of Older Americans Month. This year’s theme is Connect, Create and Contribute, which encourages older adults and their communities to: Connect with friends, family and services that support participation Create by engaging in activities that promote learning, health and personal enrichment Contribute time, talent …
NYC Creative Aging Initiative Spring Highlights
Lifetime Arts conducted several training events in March to support the arts organizations, teaching artists, and senior center staff offering Creative Aging programming in NYC as part of the NYC Creative Aging Initiative, made possible through the generous support of the New York Community Trust, and offered in partnership with the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging …
Lifetime Arts Delivers Teaching Artist Training in Chicago
“Training Chicago teaching artists was so inspiring. They are hungry for this work and the day was filled with the space to share ideas and work together to imagine what Creative Aging programs in Chicago could be like.” -Annie Montgomery Director of Education Lifetime Arts Lifetime Arts delivered two days of extensive teaching artist training …
Creative Aging Continues in Northern Wisconsin Libraries
“I appreciated the enthusiasm of the presenters and the possibility of inspiring my community.” On April 4 and 5, in continuation of a statewide training being conducted by Lifetime Arts, Education Director, Annie Montgomery, and teaching artist, Julie Kline, traveled to northern Wisconsin to deliver two full-day professional development workshops on Creative Aging programming for public librarians …