Aging INSPIRED! by Visual Arts
Aging INSPIRED! by Visual Arts
UR Aging Institute Celebrates “Aging INSPIRED!” with Memorial Art Gallery
Acclaimed abstract painter Alma Thomas created her most famous works after age 60. Her passion for her craft is making a profound impact on older creators and consumers of art.
URAI launched this year’s Aging INSPIRED! campaign at the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) in Rochester, New York at the opening of the exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas. “This is a perfect exhibition to kick off the Aging INSPIRED! campaign because Alma Thomas had a very long career, but it didn’t really get started until she retired from her full-time job as a school teacher,” said Sarah Jesse, Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the Memorial Art Gallery.
Both viewing and creating art can have many benefits, including improved mental health, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Some studies have found that people who enjoy looking at art get the same health benefits as people who enjoy making art.
“It makes you feel part of life, so that you’re not isolated, you’re not just sitting somewhere watching the world go by. It makes you feel like, ‘whoa I can do this!’”
Marguerite Quinn,
Memorial Art Gallery Docent
“For me, it’s intellectually stimulating, and it gets the brain matter and all the neurons firing—that’s what I see in art.”
Michael Johnson,
Memorial Art Gallery Member
“I look at art and I get inspired to learn things. It actually keeps me active. It keeps my mind engaged. It has me remember things that I haven’t remembered in a long time.”
David Michael,
Memorial Art Gallery Docent
“I love that Alma Thomas was able to really focus on this creative pursuit late in life, and it really shows all of us that it’s never too late to really dedicate your time to your craft.”
Sarah Jesse,
Memorial Art Gallery Director
Older Adults Illustrate How Art Inspires Aging and Aging Inspires Art
For one inspired group of students, creating art is more than just a fun pastime—it’s a powerful way to connect with friends, stay sharp mentally, and improve their overall quality of life.
Many of the artists who take classes at The Mill Art Center & Gallery in Honeoye Falls, New York are older adults, typically retirees who have time to pursue recreational activities such as creating art. “It’s been a nice addition to my life as I’ve grown older,” said student Rachel Edwards. “The thing that I find really intriguing about drawing and painting is how we use our brain differently.” Classmate Sandy Pearl agrees. “I’m constantly challenging my brain, which I think older people need to do,” she added.
“There's more openness and fearlessness with this group of older people. They're not working for a grade, they're here because they're really excited about what they're doing.”
Denise Heischman,
Mill Art Center Instructor
“Art has been a nice addition to my life as I've grown older. And my husband also is an artist, so that's sort of our happy place.”
Rachel Edwards,
Mill Art Center Student
“People my age are afraid to break out of their comfort zone because they say, ‘I could never do that.’ Yes, you can!”
Sandy Pearl,
Mill Art Center Student
“I take art classes to push me and help stimulate different ideas and be around other artists, which is really important to me.”
Sherri Cromwell,
Mill Art Center Student
Watch Spectrum News coverage of Aging INSPIRED! Unique New Program Uses Art to Bring Vitality to Older Adults (Spectrum News)
Legendary Artist's Work Inspires Him to Stay Young
“I have to do art because it’s food for my thoughts and my brain. I’m constantly being rejuvenated.”
A Conversation with Dr. Gerald Marks, MD—Renowned Surgeon & Watercolorist
In this 3-part video series, renowned surgeon, watercolorist, and centenarian Dr. Gerald Marks, MD, discusses the benefits of engaging with the arts in later life with Yeates Conwell, MD and Carol Podgorski, MD from the University of Rochester Aging Institute.
Dr. Gerald Marks is the embodiment of Aging INSPIRED! As a surgeon for more than 50 years and author of “Ageless Art: The Special Joy of Watercolor Painting After 90,” Marks demonstrates how engaging with the arts contributes to vital aging. In this three-part interview, Marks explains how he became interested in watercolor painting, reflects on how it has impacted his life, and discusses the mental and physical benefits of creating art.
The artist at a Hudson River Valley workshop in 2017 at age 92.
Looking north to Baltimore Inner Harbor at dusk at age 94.
Creative Workshop at Memorial Art Gallery Inspires Older Adults to Age with Vitality
The Memorial Art Gallery’s Creative Workshop offers a wide range of classes to help creators discover, or rediscover, their love for the arts as they age. Art classes and workshops are an excellent way for older adults to try something new, stay active, and create lasting friendships.