Arts Service Organization: Lifetime Arts

New Initiative Catalyzes State-Level Partnerships to Advance Creative Aging in Western States

Two older adult participants smile at the camera while painting at a table.

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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Public Libraries Supported as Community Anchors for Positive and Creative Aging  

Older adult participants look at artwork during a culminating event at a Wyoming public library.

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.

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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.

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NASAA Initiative Serves as a Creative Aging “Bedrock” for State Arts Agencies

Chiquita Mullins Lee, Arts Learning Coordinator at the Ohio Arts Council with a trainee during the Ohio Arts Creative Aging Summit.

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

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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.

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Upcoming Speaking Engagements + Networking Events in NY, OH and FL

A black and white icon of two people sitting at a table across from each other talking.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Lifetime Arts Works with 21 State Art Agencies to Increase Capacity for Creative Aging Programs via NASAA Effort

A trainee holds up her collage to the web cam.

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.

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Wyoming State Agencies Partner with Lifetime Arts to Provide Accessible Creative Aging Programs in Rural Communities

A photo of a group of participants from a program. They are posing for the camera, with paintings hung up on the wall behind them.

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.

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Remote Creative Aging Programs Addressed Social Isolation in 7 New York Counties During Pandemic

A participant's photograph of a first-person perspective on a blue kayak. The view beyond the kayak is cloudy skies and calm, open water with tree lines in the distance.

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.

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Fifteen Wyoming Public Libraries to Receive Financial Support for Creative Aging Projects

Wyoming State Library logo in color

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.

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Combating Ageism in a Socially Distanced World

Screenshot of participants during a remote training workshop.

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.

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Artwork Marks, Reflects, and Celebrates Life

Poster of "Equus" Broadway program cover from the 1970s.

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.

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Lifetime Arts to Deliver “Combating Ageism in a Socially Distanced World” in Rootwork Series

Headshots of Annie Montgomery and Mary Moore Easter.

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.

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The Creative Aging Resource Website: An Online Hub for an Emerging Field

Image showing screenshots of the Creative Aging Resource website

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.

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Lifetime Arts to Offer “Creative Aging During COVID-19” at Louisiana Arts Summit

A promo image featuring a training with headshots of Annie Montgomery and Julie Kline.

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.

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Creative Aging in Wyoming Public Libraries Initiative Adds Seed Grant Program

black map of the U.S. with Wyoming state outlined in white

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 …

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Lifetime Arts to Deliver, “Creative Aging During COVID” for Mid-Atlantic Region Teaching Artists

This is a headshot of Julie Kline. She has wavy brown hair and brown eyes. She is smiling.

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.

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“Tell me about a time when you were resilient.”

A screenshot of participants in a collage.

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.” 

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Final Critiques and Closure via Google Hangouts in San Juan

Participants engage in the Zoom workshop, "Autorretrato en Medios Mixto," a program by the Museum de Historia, Antropología y Arte.

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.

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“A Storied Life”: A New Generation of Digital Storytellers Emerges

Participants watch their short films with friends and family.

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. …

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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 …

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Participants 55+ Share Their Journeys Through Clay (Videos)

Three participants admire pottery pieces on a table.

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 …

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Lifetime Arts Featured in Inaugural Creative Aging Track at National Guild Conference

Participants engaging in a Lifetime Arts workshop at the Conference for Community Arts Education.

 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, …

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2019-2020 Catalyzing Creative Aging Cohort Announced

Catalyzing Creativity 2019-2020 Cohort

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 …

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Creative Aging Experts Address Ageism at Grantmakers in the Arts Conference

National Guild for Community Arts Education logo

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 …

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Debra Pasquerette

This is a headshot of teaching artist, Debra Pasquerette. She has short hair and thick rimmed glasses. She is smiling.

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 …

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NASAA Leadership Institute Features Creative Aging Experts

Teresa Bonner, Maura O'Malley and Diana Champa are pictured sitting at a conference table talking to one another.

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 …

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Lifetime Arts Trainer Selected to Join the 2019 Creative Community Fellows Cohort

This is a headshot of Lifetime Arts Trainer, Vinny Mraz. He has dark brown hair and brown glasses. He is smiling.

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 …

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50 More Minnesota Artists Trained in Creative Aging Program Model

Thern Anderson leads the Movement and Writing session.

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, …

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10 Arts Organizations Receive Seed Grants To Launch New Creative Aging Programs

Pasadena Conservatory of Art Adult Studies Culminating Event, Catalyzing Creative Aging, National Guild for Community Arts Education

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 …

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Catalyzing Creative Aging 2019-2020 Applications Now Open

Bomba Dance Workshop, Casita Maria, Bronx, NY (National Guild)

  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 …

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Summer Creative Aging Training Roundup

Cohort of arts organizations across the U.S. and Lifetime Arts staff in Minnesota

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 …

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Innovative “School of Drag” Event Mixes Generations and Gender Performance

Performers in School of Drag's culminating event

“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 …

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U.S. Museums Receptive to Creative Aging Programming

photo of Aroha Senior Fellow and Creative Aging panelists at AAM annual conference

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 …

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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 …

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NYC Creative Aging Initiative Spring Highlights

Photo of two women standing in front of their artwork.

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 …

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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 …

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Creative Aging Continues in Northern Wisconsin Libraries

Wisconsin librarian participants in workshop

“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 …

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School of Drag Attracts Intergenerational Performers (VIDEO)

Intergenerational participants rehearse dances in School of Drag workshop.

School of Drag, a Creative Aging program collaboration between the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, AZ (MOCA) and Fluxx Productions, is a 10-week workshop series that invites 55+ LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual, non-binary, pansexual, etc.) community members to explore art, narrative and performance which culminates into a showcase featuring performers …

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Ed Talks Creative Aging at The Creative Center Training Institute

The Creative Center at University Settlement logo

This week long training program draws people from around the country and focuses on the role of the arts in healthcare and creative aging, providing theoretical and didactic approaches to implementing and sustaining high-quality arts programming in a variety of settings serving older adults across the aging spectrum. Lifetime Arts is a regular presenter at …

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Creative Aging Enrollment at Pasadena Conservatory of Art Increases

Older adult jazz performer rehearses.

Now in its second grant cycle, the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s Catalyzing Creative Aging Initiative is helping arts organizations across the U.S. to better serve older adult learners.  For example, since last fall, enrollment has rapidly increased and continues to do so at Pasadena Conservatory of Music. In fact, the “summer camp” programs being offered …

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Lifetime Arts Expands Team of Creative Aging Trainers

A cohort of trainers sitting on a couch during a training at Lifetime Arts' Headquarters Office.

In an effort to meet the growing, nationwide demand for our professional development services, we held a train-the-trainer event at our headquarters in New Rochelle, NY on March 25, 26 and 28.  For this series, we invited our already established master teaching artists on our roster of trainers, Antonia Perez and Julie Kline, and identified …

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Seeding Vitality Arts Minnesota Re-convening

A group of people are standing in a circle, participating in a warm-up exercise.

On February 25 and 26, Lifetime Arts traveled to Minneapolis to take part in a re-convening of the Minnesota organizations who were awarded funding through Aroha Philanthropies’ Seeding Vitality Arts Initiative in 2018 and who have been invited to continue their programs in 2019. The event celebrated the accomplishments of 2018 and reflected on any challenges the …

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Lisa Spraragen

Photo of teaching artist Lisa Spraragen. She has dark hair and has a guitar in her hands. She is smiling.

A graduate of Brown University with a Master’s in Music Performance from NYU, Lifetime Arts Roster teaching artist, Lisa Spraragen is a classical and flamenco guitarist and dancer. This past year she taught three Creative Aging programs for us as a part of the Catalyzing Creativity in New York City initiative made possible by the Fan Fox …

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Peyton Scott Russell

Born in Minneapolis, MN, Peyton’s earliest memories as a child were making art and being creative. This continued into high school where he discovered graffiti art from the film Style Wars in 1984. This consumed his art interest. A portfolio of traditional art and graffiti influenced works helped earn acceptance into the School of the …

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Training Teaching Artists, Community Centers, Museums, and Arts Orgs

This fall Lifetime Arts has delivered of live Creative Aging training sessions in New York City, around the state, and across the country. Community Centers In October, Lifetime Arts made two separate trips to the YMCA of Greater Syracuse. On the first trip, the team oriented the executive director and key program leaders to the …

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Fall 2018 Highlights

As a result of three major Creative Aging initiatives running programs this fall as a result of our training and technical support — The Catalyzing Creativity initiative in New York City, funded by the Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; Catalyzing Creative Aging, a project in partnership with the National Guild for Community Arts Education; …

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“On the Road” Updates

October 2018 On October 25, our Executive Director, Ed Friedman, delivered the opening Keynote Address, “Creative Aging in Community Settings” at the Brookdale Foundation Group’s 2018 Annual Conference held at the Marriott Hotel in Teaneck, New Jersey. The conference was attended by over 200 people representing organizations from 35 states. The Group’s major initiatives are: …

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Bringing Creative Aging to TAP Cohort

Teaching Artist Project logo

As mentioned earlier this fall, Lifetime Arts, Inc. is proudly teaming up with the Teaching Artist Project (TAP) Cohort, a division of Community-Word Project (CWP). TAP is a comprehensive training and internship hosted by CWP and designed to prepare artists to bring their craft into K-12 classrooms. The TAP Cohort is a network of arts organizations …

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Spotlight: Shibori Workshop, West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology

This fall older adults at West Michigan Center for the Arts and Technology learned shibori, a traditional Japanese fiber art, through Catalyzing Creative Aging, Lifetime Arts’ partnership with the National Guild for Community Arts Education. Teaching Artist John Cox led participants through a 12-week beginner level workshop. Shibori is a resist dyeing method that creates patterns by …

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David DeBlieck

Dance instructor David DeBlieck leaps across the studio floor.

Mr. DeBlieck’s teaching credits include faculty lecturer at the University of Hawaii (1995-1997), where he taught courses in modern dance technique and advanced Labanotation, Augsburg College (2005-2015) where he taught Creative Drama, Introduction to Theatre, Dance for Musical Theatre and Introduction to Dance, and at St Cloud State University (2009-2015) where he taught dance composition …

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Creative Aging Program Roundup

Group shot of several older adult couples dancing. The room is decorated for a party.

This year more than 900 people aged 55+ from New Mexico to New Hampshire attended 65 Creative Aging programs in public libraries, arts organizations, and community spaces where they mastered new art-making skills such as digital photography, acting, creative writing, singing, and dancing. How do these programs work? These arts workshops were offered through several …

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Second Cohort of 20 Arts Orgs Selected for Catalyzing Creative Aging Program

Twenty nonprofit arts education organizations have been selected to participate in the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s Catalyzing Creative Aging Program. This multi-phase initiative, provided in partnership with Lifetime Arts, is designed to support the establishment of new, professionally-led arts education programs for older adults that increase social engagement and mastery of one or …

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Lifetime Arts to Join Community-Word Project TAP Cohort

Community-Word Project, a New York City based 501(c)(3) arts-in-education organization that inspires children in under-served communities to read, interpret, and respond to their world and to become active citizens through collaborative arts residencies and teacher training programs, has invited Lifetime Arts to be a member organization of the Teaching Artist Project (TAP) Cohort. As part of …

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20 Museums Tapped for Initiative to Create Learning Opportunities For Older Adults

Lifetime Arts to train and support educators at 20 museums across the U.S. as they develop and implement high-quality, intensive arts learning opportunities for older adults. Arlington, VA – Aroha Philanthropies, the American Alliance of Museums, and Lifetime Arts announced today that 20 museums and organizations have been tapped to participate in a new initiative, …

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NYC Senior Center, Teaching Artist, and Arts Organization Training Update

Lifetime Arts is currently training teaching artists and staff at New York City senior centers and arts organizations how to plan, design, and deliver Creative Aging programming. Annie Montgomery, Lifetime Arts’ director of education, led a training for senior center staff this month at the Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch. Through our experiential, hands-on seminars …

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Creative Aging in Southern Wisconsin Libraries

“I want to get started immediately!” This week Lifetime Arts traveled to southern Wisconsin to deliver two full-day professional development workshops on Creative Aging programming for public librarians working in suburban and rural libraries there. We began the week on Tuesday in Brookfield where we worked with 26 librarians from the greater Milwaukee area. The …

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10 Arts Org Receive Grants Via Catalyzing Creative Aging Program

The National Guild for Community Arts Education is 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. Research shows that participation in activities that foster creative …

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Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aroha Philanthropies Announces National Initiative in Collaboration with the American Alliance of Museums and Lifetime Arts MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Aroha Philanthropies, the American Alliance of Museums, and Lifetime Arts announced today that they will collaborate to launch Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums, a new national initiative developed, funded and managed by …

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20 Selected for Catalyzing Creative Aging Program

Arts education programs enhance the well-being of older adults New York, NY—Twenty nonprofit arts education organizations from 14 states have been selected to participate in the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s Catalyzing Creative Aging Program. This multi-phase initiative, provided in partnership with Lifetime Arts, is designed to support the establishment of new, professionally led …

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New York Community Trust Awards $600K Grant for Creative Aging in NYC

Lifetime Arts to lead major effort to advance Creative Aging movement in NYC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2018 New Rochelle, NY — Lifetime Arts, Inc. announced today the receipt of a $600,000 grant from The New York Community Trust (NYCT) in support of a two-year effort to evaluate and strengthen Creative Aging programs in New …

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Why Creative Aging Matters

It’s easy to get caught up in the myriad of projects we’re juggling. It’s also easy when we do take a breath to ask “what’s next?” We don’t often take the time to ask ”What have we been doing for the last twelve months, and did it make any difference?” I’m tempted to use this …

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Grantees Selected for NYC Creative Aging Initiative

Catalyzing Creativity in NYC’s Senior Service Organizations NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Ten NYC senior service organizations have each been awarded a grant of $7,500 to plan and implement Creative Aging projects as part of the Catalyzing Creativity initiative, a pioneering city-wide program designed to improve the quality of life of older New Yorkers through arts …

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NPR’s Ina Jaffe Covers Lifetime Arts Programming for All Things Considered

Two of our master teaching artists, Lauren Jost and Dave Johnson are co-teaching a memoir class titled “I Know a Thing or Two”, at the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. The sessions are well attended with participants sharing their experiences and diverse backgrounds as the impetus for their stories. Lifetime Arts’ work in …

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Lifetime Arts Partners with E.A. Michelson Philanthropy to Launch “Seeding Vitality Arts MN”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 23, 2017 CONTACT: Ed Friedman 914-355-2304 NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Lifetime Arts, the nationally recognized leader in Creative Aging, and E.A. Michelson Philanthropy have launched a statewide grant opportunity for Minnesota: “Seeding Vitality Arts MN“. This new initiative will build the capacities of organizations in the state of Minnesota to develop …

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Grant and Training Opportunity for NYC Senior Service Organizations

Lifetime Arts is pleased to announce the launch of Catalyzing Creativity, a major Creative Aging initiative for New York City. Creative Aging connects older adults with professional teaching artists through active learning programs in all arts disciplines. Across the U.S., older adult advocates, researchers and artists are promoting the benefits of arts education for older …

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The Importance of Teaching Artists

At the center of a truly great Creative Aging program is the teaching artist. They are the boots on the ground, who are teaching new skills to curious minds and turning a group of strangers into lifelong friends. Teaching artists make the learning fun and engaging, and they accomplish all of this with a sense …

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Ed and Ashton Applewhite: A Conversation about Ageism

Ashton Applewhite was recently named Influencer of the Year by Next Avenue atop their list of 50 Influencers of Aging for 2016. A writer based in Brooklyn, New York, Ashton is the author of the recently released (and enthusiastically reviewed) This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism. Applewhite blogs at her website, This Chair Rocks, has written …

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Teaching Artists Speak! Creative Aging from the Teaching Artists Perspective

“The survey showed that the overwhelming majority (96%) of respondents are interested in teaching art to older adults.” This is the last of three national surveys, investigating Creative Aging and teaching artistry this year. It’s no surprise that the survey revealed strong interest among teaching artists in working with older adults. Teaching Artists Speak! – …

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Lifetime Arts Tapped to Support Aroha “Seeding Artful Aging” Initiative

Aroha Philanthropies has awarded nearly $500,000 in grants to 15 nonprofits through its “Seeding Artful Aging initiative,” and we are proud to announce our involvement in the upcoming initiative. We will provide training, program development, and technical assistance services to all grantees throughout this two-year project.  “Chosen from a highly competitive field of more than …

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Mid-Year Update from Lifetime Arts

As we reach the half way point in the year we’d like to share with you what has been happening at Lifetime Arts since the end of 2015. CREATIVE AGING IN AMERICA’S LIBRARIES This three-year project, funded primarily by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), has supported 72 Creative Aging workshops in public libraries …

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Teaching Artist of the Month: August 2016

Antonia Perez What is your primary artistic medium? I have been working with used plastic bags as my primary medium since 2008. I collect them from a range of sources and transform them by crocheting them into a variety of sculptural forms. I also collect other discarded materials such as tissue boxes, household textiles and …

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