The Mather Hosts Creative Aging Fest in Fountain Square

As Active Aging Week 2021 drew to a close, The Mather, together with Studio 3 and Kids Create Change, hosted a Creative Aging Fest on October 10th in Fountain Square, downtown Evanston. The public was invited, and pedestrians were encouraged to join as nearly 100 participants, ages 2 to 94, braved the elements to come safely celebrate Creative Aging with intergenerational projects that inspired and encouraged Evanstonians of all ages to get creative.

Activities included an Urban Sketching workshop with artist Shruti Vijay, an Interactive Performance with Perceptual Motion Dance Company, and a Doodle Downtown Evanston Sketching Station. Participants were also invited to participate in the 1,000 Butterflies Project, and to contribute to a collaborative mixed-media community art project.

The collaborative mural was inspired by the imagery of ripples on the water and tree rings to explore interconnectedness, our impact on others, and the beauty of age. The ripple imagery was then layered with nails, and attendees could use various colors and textures of yarn to wind paths around the nails -- creating a map of connection, pattern, and shape. Participants were also invited to write their thoughts about connection on tags and attach them to an adjacent mural also utilizing the ripple imagery. The mural is currently on display at The Mather in the art studio and will then travel to various locations throughout Evanston to be enjoyed by the community.

While this was its inaugural event, The Mather hopes to host the Creative Aging Fest annually with more community partners in the future.

“The goal was to explore permeability of boundaries between a ‘senior living’ community and the broader Evanston community, to identify simple ways that we can share community spaces, challenge our broader communities to think differently about aging -- from a positive, strength-based lens in which aging can be celebrated, and older adults are innovators, creators, and connectors,” said Caroline Edasis, Director of Senior Living Community Engagement, Mather. “Inviting intergenerational connection is a great step!”