The Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), an alliance of 103 public libraries in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, is contracting with MnCAAN to provide 24 three-day arts residencies at senior housing sites where MELSA libraries have outreach relationships. This project, called Art for Life, will involve hundreds of older adults in learning new artistic skills.

The residencies, or workshops, will be offered between April 2010 and June 2011.

MnCAAN will schedule professional artists in 10 art disciplines who are experienced in working with older adults to provide the hands-on workshops. The artists will each spend three days during one week teaching in their art discipline. They will provide a kind of in-house “arts camp” for the residents living there that helps the residents gain artistic skills while reflecting on their experience of aging. Housing residents can invite their family members and friends to take part in the workshops with them.

The artworks created by participants will be exhibited or performed at their housing sites or in other community venues.

Artist Selection and Training

Artists who will teach during the residencies will be selected by MnCAAN in collaboration with COMPAS, a Minnesota organization with a long history of providing artists for residencies. COMPAS will manage the artist contracts. Artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts will be included. Training will be provided by MnCAAN for artists, volunteers, facility staff and library staff regarding the benefits of creativity in later life and how to serve the interests of older adults through the arts activities.

Project Benefits

• Provide access to art programs for an underserved population. The documented benefits of providing creative arts experiences for older adults include cognitive improvement (brain health), overall health improvement, increased satisfaction through feelings of accomplishment, and increased social interaction among facility residents.
• Jumpstart or enhance high-quality arts learning programs at senior housing sites. Staff at these sites will receive training and learn directly from the artists about ways to continue arts learning activities after the residencies are over. They will also be introduced to community artists with an interest in teaching arts to older adults.
• Expand the number of artists trained to teach older adults. In addition to the artists leading the residencies, other community artists will be invited to assist as volunteers or intern to increase their skills in teaching older adults in congregate housing sites. They will be able to participate in the training provided and work with the lead artists during the residencies.
• Enhance and strengthen outreach relationships MELSA libraries have with senior living facilities. Housing site staff and residents will become more familiar with library services.

  Library Support

  MELSA libraries will select the senior housing sites for the residencies. Some libraries will provide exhibit or performance space for the works. Some will also provide other support such as posting program photographs, artwork, or creative writing on the library website.

  Funding for this project is coming through MELSA's portion of Minnesota's Legacy Amendment money devoted to the arts. The project was selected by the MELSA 55+ Interest Group which consists of library staff who have a special interest in serving older adults.

Project Origins

Art of Aging is adapted from a successful North Dakota project called Art for Life, which has been funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Lila Hauge-Stoffel, who is a trainer and residency artist in the North Dakota project, will work with MnCAAN as a consultant and trainer. She is a fiber artist and an arts educator recently retired from Minnesota State University Moorhead.