Program: Ceramic Sculptor
Discipline: AZ Creative Aging Teaching Artist Institute
Artist Biography
Lisa Swanson, a ceramic sculptor, teaching artist spanning 37 years and director of the ArtMobile program, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and a Master’s Degree in Arts in Medicine from the University of Florida. While pursuing her master’s degree in 2015, for her capstone project, Lisa piloted ArtMobile: A Community-Engaged Arts Program for Enhancing Well-being in Older Adult Populations. Lisa has continued to develop ArtMobile into a visiting community-engaged arts and aging program to under-served older adult populations in Casa Grande, AZ. The program provides participatory art workshops to 100 individuals weekly who would not have the opportunity to engage in a creative experience. Currently Lisa partners with Pinal Gila Council for Senior Citizens Area Aging Agency V as their Arts and Wellness Coordinator for the Kachina Apartments, a low income senior community. She also partners with various other communities facilitating creative aging workshops with seniors that are: homebound, bedbound and group participants in independent living, assisted living, memory support, day club and long-term care facilities. Group workshops include visual art, pottery and movement along with individual patient bedside and in home art sessions.
In addition to creative aging workshops Lisa designs and builds supportive healing environments at healthcare facilities. Tiles of Compassion ceramic healing wall in 2013 and The Garden of Oasis healing garden in 2015, are two projects created with the patients/residents, their families and staff at Casa Grande Regional Medical Center and Oasis Pavilion Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Passionate and committed to the power of the arts to heal, Lisa’s mission as a teaching artist in the Creative Aging field is to reach under-served older adult populations bridging quality arts in aging programs into communities. She recognizes the significance of these programs as an intervention for nurturing creative expression, social inclusion and enhancing an older adult’s overall quality of life.
