It's All About Art

Artists don't retire. They keep on making art. And that's what Celebrating Art for Senior Engagement, a 10-day festival April 28 through May 7, is all about. Celebrating Art for Senior Engagement, presented by Maturity and Its Muse, is showcasing art in all its forms with 80-plus events throughout the St. Louis region. Lynn Hamilton’s Maturity and Its Muse, that's dedicated to improving the life of seniors through the arts has worked with 60 local venues to bring St. Louis 10 days of exhibits and art-related events to highlight how art improves the aging experience. As events are continuously being added and updated, you can find an up-to-date calendar online: maturityanditsmuse.org/calendar/. A PDF calendar is also available. The majority of events will be free, however a few may cost or ask for pre registration, so please click on the event to find out more information.

Celebrating Art for Senior Engagement is the first area-wide festival dedicated to the St. Louis region's older adult population. From St. Louis Art Museum to several area galleries, libraries, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Missouri Botanical Garden and more, arts events and programs can be found for people of all abilities and interests.

“Artists have the ability to inspire all of us to try our hand at something we had always wanted to do. Whether that's play a musical instrument, pick up a pencil and sketch, dig in the dirt, color in a book…do something new,” said Lynn Hamilton, creator of Celebrating Art for Senior Engagement through her nonprofit Maturity and Its Muse. “This festival is about enjoying life and having fun.”

Art can keep people young in spirit and recent discoveries show that when “older people become involved in culturally enriching programs, they experience a decline in depression, are less likely to fall and pay fewer visits to the doctor (New York Times article “Using the Arts to Promote Healthy Aging).”

The goal of Celebrating Art for Senior Engagement is twofold:

• To harness the power of the arts to energize and transform the quality of life for the region's older adults and
• To attract and help build audiences for the venues involved

“What's great about Celebrating Art for Senior Engagement is it doesn't matter what level anyone's ability is,” Hamilton said. “Just because something may keep someone from singing or dancing on the outside, it's still possible to have a song in one's heart and dance on the inside. From watching a St. Louis Symphony rehearsal to listening to poetry readings to dancing and coloring, this festival incorporates all different aspects of the arts and some are participatory while others are not.”