Holding Gratitude & Acknowledgement Together
Dear Friends,
On this day, when many Americans typically gather around the table with loved ones in thanksgiving, I send you this note of gratitude and acknowledgment. I’m humbled by
the power of our collective imagination, compassion, and good deeds that keep Arts for the Aging nourished. Your support has helped us combat isolation and loneliness in
aging, filling virtual spaces and delivering heART Kits during this time of pandemic; sparking joyful, healing, and artful connection across Greater Washington, D.C.
For this, I am grateful. Your passion, dedication, and thoughtful generosity continue to inspire me and the entire Arts for the Aging team as we evolve together through these uncertain times. Read the full newsletter here.
Photo Above: Arts for the Aging Kids N’ Grans Program, 2009, Stephanie Williams Images
Growing Within: Reflections on the Last Eight Months...
Dear Friends,
What an enriching summer it has been at Arts for the Aging. We look forward eagerly to the day when we can fully resume artful caregiving in-person. Meanwhile, virtual programs remain strong, including 175 multidisciplinary arts workshops conducted so far this year.
Continuing partnerships with the Smithsonian Institution and The Phillips Collection energize us, new partnerships with the University of Florida Jacksonville and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and conversations with the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington Ballet validate us. Participation in the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) fall awards program this October promises much more to come!
Read on for more of our latest updates here.
Photo above: Intergenerational workshop with Alexandria Adult Day Health Care Center and Episcopal High School (photo credit Stephanie Williams Images).
Quicksilver Performs “Water Spirit” for the 2021 Global Water Dances Initiative
Arts for the Aging is proud to sponsor Quicksilver, an improvisational dance company for seniors, who recently performed "Water Spirit" as part of the 2021 Global Water Dances initiative. Choreographed by Quicksilver director Nancy Havlik with an original score from music director Adam Gonzalez, the dance was shot on the Anacostia River at Kingman and Heritage Islands in Washington, D.C. The performance features eight dancers over the age of 65 interpreting water's varied forms, and supports the Anacostia Watershed Society's work to clean up the river. You can learn more about Quicksilver here.
Emerging from 2020: The Arts As Our Saving Grace
An Arts for the Aging pre-recorded program, Rhythms of Life, featuring teaching artists Manny Arciniega and Chris Brown.
Dear Friends,
As I reflect on the events of the last year and embrace hope in 2021, I am filled with gratitude for the vibrant community of supporters who make Arts for the Aging possible. Thank you for believing in the transformative power of the arts and the importance of our creative aging programming.
Because of them and because of you, we worked with 26 client partners at 32 locations in Greater Washington D.C., producing online workshops, on-demand video programs, and delivering “heART Kits” – visual, tactile, and literary art kits – to seniors and their caregivers at home, through community and residential centers, and virtual memory cafes. You have given the gift of joy, community, and connection to those who need it most – thank you!