What age do you have to be to start creating amazing works of art?
Can someone who never created an art piece before become an artist later in life? At what age do you stop producing truly inspiring pieces?
Since 1981, not-for-profit PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America) Art is Ageless® program has been recognizing the creativity of seniors through an art competition and calendar. The program has expanded to include arts programming, educational opportunities and attendance at cultural events throughout Kansas and Missouri, where PMMA’s 16 communities are located.
The first Art is Ageless calendar in 1981 featured resident art. In 2006, the competition was expanded to include area artists age 65 and older as well. The 2021 Art is Ageless calendar will celebrate 40 years of the program.
‘Best of Show’ artist picked up …
‘Best of Show’ artist picked up paint brushes after mastering the violin
"6:30 Wichita" by Nancy Luttrell, Wichita Presbyterian Manor On her usual route to symphony practice, Nancy Luttrell often took a photo of the nor ...
Three Salina-area artists among Art is …
Three Salina-area artists among Art is Ageless® masterpiece level winners
"The Hay Barn" by Stan Lauer, Salina Presbyterian Manor Three winning artists in Salina Presbyterian Manor’s annual Art is Ageless® juried competi ...
For Giblin, painting was just the …
For Giblin, painting was just the latest in a long line of personal challenges
Joey Giblin While most people like to stick to what they know and play to their strengths, Joey Giblin has a slightly different outlook on life. ...
Four Arkansas City area artists among …
Four Arkansas City area artists among Art is Ageless® masterpiece level winners
"Waiting for Spring" by Marjorie Swaim, Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor Four winning artists in Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor’s annual Art is ...
The creative process increases self-esteem, reduces depression, improves memory, promotes critical thinking, encourages playfulness, provides a sense of control, nurtures spirituality, and builds friendships between residents and people outside their generation.
In 2006, a study by George Washington University on behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, found that the arts have a positive effect on health and illness as we age. Current studies in art therapy, music therapy and other creative pursuits confirm that art can affect individuals in positive ways, whether they are creating art or enjoying the works of another.
Encouraging older adults to take up the arts and express themselves is a natural fit for PMMA’s philosophy of empowering older adults to live the way they want to live.
Through the Art is Ageless program, residents and friends of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America are proving that art, in any form, is an ageless ambition.