News
Creative Aging Featured in Stanford Social Innovation Review
Stanford Social Innovation Review recently highlighted the impact of creative aging in an article written by Aroha’s Executive Director, Teresa Bonner. The article shares how arts programming specially designed to help older adults access and benefit from quality lifelong learning can foster connection with others and restore a sense of purpose and joy to their lives. You can read the full article here.
Remembering Michael Matthew Ferrell
Aroha mourns the passing of arts and aging leader Michael Matthew Ferrell. Michael made extraordinary contributions to the Twin Cities arts scene and was a pioneer of the creative aging movement. Michael’s outstanding commitment to older adults included his role as the Executive/Artistic Director and Founder of Alive & Kickin, the Twin Cities’ premier senior rock ensemble. Michael’s passion for fostering creativity in older adults, his ability to nurture and create community and his incredibly joyful spirit completely align with Aroha’s mission and we are proud to have supported Alive & Kickin. You can read more about Michael’s incredible life here.
New Grants
We’re pleased to announce more than $875,000 in new grant awards by Aroha Philanthropies to the organizations listed below. You can also see the full list of our extraordinary grantees here.
Discovery Arts
Children’s Theatre Company
Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts
Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies
MacPhail Center for Music
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Vitality Arts®
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
MacPhail Center for Music
National Guild for Community Arts Education
Humanity Arts
MacPhail Center for Music
Touchstone Mental Health
General
FilmNorth
Creative Aging Featured on New Orleans Public Radio
Aroha’s Executive Director, Teresa Bonner, was recently featured on Louisiana Considered through New Orleans Public Radio. The segment featured the creative aging movement and the $23,000 creative aging grant to the Louisiana Division of the Arts from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. You'll also hear from Carrie Broussard from the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development and hear a special shoutout to one of Aroha's Seeding Vitality Arts grantees, the Louisiana State Museum. You can listen to the full segment here.
American Alliance of Museums Releases Major Creative Aging Report
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) recently released a landmark report on museums and creative aging and announced a national Summit on Museums and Creative Aging.
The report, commissioned by the American Alliance of Museums and written by Marjorie Schwarzer, is a call to action for museums to change the narrative about what it means to grow old in America. Opening with an overview of aging and ageism in our country, the report documents actions being taken to foster positive aging, profiles the work of museums providing creative aging programming, and shares lessons learned from Aroha’s Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums initiative. You can download a copy of the report here.
AAM will host a national Museum Summit on Creative Aging, a free, highly interactive virtual summit that will provide museum professionals with inspiration, tools and connections to help them serve the growing and underserved population of people who are “55 and better.” The half-day program includes keynote discussions, interactive workshops and panels that include Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums grantees. The summit takes place on July 29, 2021 from 1-6 pm ET. Learn more here.
It’s time for America’s museums—with their long commitment to education for youth and their essential relationships with older adults as visitors, volunteers, advocates, and trustees—to take a fresh approach to the experiences they offer people fifty-five and better.
Museums can and must venture beyond their own walls—physical and metaphorical—to develop strong, lasting community relationships, especially with those who have been overlooked as intelligent, contributing members of society: older adults.
We encourage you to share these two exciting developments in creative aging with your networks.
MN Teaching Artist Conversation Series
More than fifty Minnesota-based teaching artists participated in a recent series of four Zoom conversations that provided a space to discuss the successes and challenges of designing and delivering effective sequential arts education programs for older adults. Aroha and Lifetime Arts facilitated the series, which covered topics such as best practices in remote program delivery, asynchronous and synchronous technology use, supporting students 55+ in remote settings, managing class expectations and how to proceed with remote creative aging programs during COVID.
National Guild Catalyzing Creative Aging Awards + Webinar Series
The National Guild for Community Arts Education, in partnership with Aroha Philanthropies and Lifetime Arts, announced that 14 nonprofit community arts education organizations from 9 states have been selected to receive Catalyzing Creative Aging seed grants. Ranging between $2,000 and $7,000, these grants will support new and expanded creative aging programming, both in person and virtual, for adults ages 55+ in their communities. Learn more by clicking here.
The Guild is also hosting a three-part webinar series addressing social isolation and creating resilient, artful communities of care for older adults through creative aging programming. The series takes place on three consecutive Thursdays—April 15, April 22, and April 29—from 4:30–6:30pm ET. Learn more by clicking here.
LGBTQIA+ Programming for Older Adults Featured on AAM Blog
The National Guild for Community Arts Education, in partnership with Aroha Philanthropies and Lifetime Arts, announced that 14 nonprofit community arts education organizations from 9 states have been selected to receive Catalyzing Creative Aging seed grants. Ranging between $2,000 and $7,000, these grants will support new and expanded creative aging programming, both in person and virtual, for adults ages 55+ in their communities. Learn more by clicking here.
The Guild is also hosting a three-part webinar series addressing social isolation and creating resilient, artful communities of care for older adults through creative aging programming. The series takes place on three consecutive Thursdays—April 15, April 22, and April 29—from 4:30–6:30pm ET. Learn more by clicking here.
NASAA Awards $1.46 Million Dollars in Creative Aging
Aroha and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) are thrilled to announce the award of $1,457,000 in grant funding to 36 state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Part of NASAA's Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging initiative, these grants will expand opportunities for creative aging across the nation, facilitating lifelong learning, joy, social engagement and improved wellbeing for older adults.
“Aroha Philanthropies is proud to partner with NASAA to support creative aging through our state and territorial arts agencies. This initiative marks an important step toward broadened awareness, adoption and funding of creative aging programs across the country,” said Ellen Michelson, founder and president.
To learn more about the 36 state arts agencies receiving funds, including every region of the country and five U.S. jurisdictions, click here. For information about activities taking place in each state, see NASAA's summary of grant awards or contact your state arts agency. For more information about NASAA's Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging initiative, contact NASAA Arts Learning Projects Director at Susan.Oetgen@nasaa-arts.org.
VESOTA Premieres Digital Performance
Aroha is proud to support VocalEssence Singers of This Age (VESOTA), a Discovery Arts grantee. Last month, VESOTA premiered their first digital performance, "Imagine." Check out the preview of the performance and hear the beautiful sounds of the original composition from one of the VESOTA students, accompanied by G. Phillip Shoultz, III. To view VocalEssence's 2020-2021 digital season, click here.