June 5, 2015

By Michele Farrell
Senior Library Program Officer, IMLS

Recently, I had the pleasure of representing IMLS at the Summit on Creative Aging in America. This pre-conference to the 2015 White House Conference on Aging was co-hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA). Participants from many different organizations, including government agencies and private interest groups, were in attendance.

One of the focus areas of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging that will take place this summer is healthy aging. Why is this important? It’s important because the number of Americans that are living longer is growing significantly and plans need to be made now to deal with this issue. The question we looked at was, “Do the arts play any role in aging?” My answer is “yes.” I feel this way because I have reaped the benefits from taking art classes. My experience has been that art literally changes the way you see the world. I never thought about how I perceived colors, volume, or space until I took an art class. Just watching others draw the same item and seeing the variety of results made me realize that we all see things through our own unique lenses.

Each participant was assigned to one of three tracks: Lifelong Learning and Engagement in the Arts; Health and Wellness and the Arts; or Age-Friendly Community Design. My assignment was to work with a group on the issue of lifelong learning and the arts. We spent the day trying to address what the biggest issues were in relation to lifelong learning, what the biggest barriers are to addressing those issues, and what viable solutions the federal government can provide to help us all age well.

To say that the conversation was lively would be an understatement! There were participants who were passionate about the value of the arts and the benefits for all people as they age. I enjoyed remarks by Jennie Smith-Peers, the Executive Director of Elders Share the Arts. She said, “I’m 36 and we’re all aging so get over it!” She felt we should suggest solutions that fit people over the entire lifespan. The group discussed how research shows the arts can improve thinking and memory, and lessen depression.

We also talked about how the arts contribute to society’s understanding of aging. If every movie you see shows older people as feeble, how does that color your perception of aging? Of course, from my perspective at IMLS, the real question of the summit was, how can the public organizations working in the aging or arts fields and governmental institutions use libraries and museums to advance creative aging in our country? The ideas generated from the summit will be published in the white paper that NEA will issue in July.

Fortunately, IMLS has funded a number of resources to assist librarians and museum professionals with creative aging. Two websites that offer solutions are: www.creativeagingtoolkit.org, and www.transforminglifeafter50.org. We have funded www.boomersinathens.org to show what individuals libraries can do to engage with baby boomers. IMLS also awarded the Frye Art Museum a $121,824 grant to expand its arts engagement program for people living with dementia and their caregivers. The museum will establish a student internship in creative aging, provide workshops for caregivers, and convene a conference on art, creativity, and dementia. Stay tuned for more information on how you can participate in the White House Conference on Aging.