(Chelsea Update would like to thank Joseph Becsey for the information in this story.)
Chosen from a highly competitive field of more than 200 applicants, UMRC Foundation is among the first cohort of grantees to partner with Aroha Philanthropies in this seminal initiative designed to support the development and expansion of successful Artful Aging programs.
“We are thrilled to be at the forefront of the emerging field of Artful Aging and delighted to partner in the Seeding Artful Aging initiative to not only support our community but contribute to a growing national movement to bring the many benefits of artful aging to communities far and wide,” says UMRC Foundation President, Wendy Brightman.
“We are ecstatic to have been chosen as the only program in Michigan and one of only four in the Midwest to participate in the first year of the Seeding Artful Aging initiative,” she said.
Artful Aging programs inspire and enable older adults to learn, make and share the arts in ways that are novel, complex and socially engaging. This work is driven by teaching artists whose creative process and understanding of older adults bring joy, connection, improved health and well-being, and a renewed sense of purpose to older adults in community and residential settings.
Aroha Philanthropies’ generous grant to the UMRC Foundation will support Story Lines: Sharing Life Experiences with the Generations through Art, Music and Drama, an arts education series for residents at Chelsea Retirement Community (CRC), UMRC’s historic flagship campus. “Older adults have a wealth of amazing accomplishments and stories to share,” says Ashley Martin, CRC Executive Director. “Through instruction in art, music, and drama, this program will give our residents a variety of ways to express themselves and share their life experiences with each other, their families, and the local community.”
For more information about UMRC and UMRC Foundation, please visit umrc.com. For more information about Seeding Artful Aging, please visit arohaartfulaging.org.
