Although not new to the scene, Art With Elders is taking the West Coast with force! Broadway World reports on a new partnership throughout the San Francisco and Bay Area that will be bringing art to older adults in a whole new way. When Art With Elders was founded in 1991, it had the goal of bringing creativity and expression to older adult communities, with an emphasis on making it readily accessible to older adults financially. This program originally set out to provide art classes as “art therapy” , but eventually a broader goal was created to bring older adults into lessons and classes, as well as give them opportunities to display their talents. 

This organization has thus far provided art classes to 12,000 older adults across 75 senior living communities. They offer a unique array of weekly classes, where the emphasis is on the older adults having the opportunities to show off their artistic skills and connect with their peers. There is also always some showcase of their work. Now, the San Francisco Arts Commission program is partnering with Art With Elders to create a unique six-month-long exhibition on only paintings and drawings made by participants in Art With Elders. 

Besides expression through art, older adults have plenty of opportunities to express themselves socially with their peers, as well as with the art goers who come to the exhibits to see their work. Art With Elders has also created intergenerational programs for older adults, so that they may also connect with younger adults through art and life stories.  

Want to keep up with recent research that’s relevant to aging services? Use the form below to subscribe to our monthly InvestigAge email.      

Source:  

Wild, S. (2023). Art With Elders Exhibition Opens at SF City Hall in February. Broadway World. https://www.broadwayworld.com/san-francisco/article/ART-WITH-ELDERS-Exhibition-Opens-at-SF-City-Hall-in-February-20230125