For Immediate Release
February 3, 2016

Contact: Steve Wilcox
602-771-6536
[email protected]

Arts Commission Presents Introduction to Creative Aging Workshop in Tucson

Experiential Workshop will explore creativity and aging on February 20, 2016

On Saturday, February 20, 2016, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona, will present “Introduction and Approaches to Creative Aging” at the Tucson Museum of Art, Education Center Auditorium. Those interested in the vital relationship between the arts and quality of life for older adults–including aging or healthcare service organization staff, caregivers, volunteers, teaching artists, and arts organizations—are invited to attend the event.

Creative Aging is a national movement to advance understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and healthy aging. A growing body of research reports that older adults are healthier and happier when participating in creative aging programs.

“Introduction and Approaches to Creative Aging” will feature two nationally recognized experts in the field:

Maria Genné, MEd, Founder and Director of Kairos Alive!, is a dancer, choreographer and educator, recognized as a pioneering leader in the intergenerational interactive participatory performing arts, and arts and health fields. Her 65+ choreography works are recognized for their ability to highlight the beauty of human experience through movement and story. In 2001, Maria developed the award winning program, The Dancing Heart™, featured in the PBS documentary, Arts and the Mind.

Jane Tygesson is the Founder of Opening Doors and author of the manual Opening Doors to Memory & Imagination to help museums create programs that engage the senses and spark conversation for people with memory loss. She co-founded the “Discover Your Story” program at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) in 2008, which has brought more than 3,000 adults in the early and middle stages of Alzheimer’s into the museum with their families, friends, and care partners for interactive tours.

“Our hope is that participants will leave the workshop with concrete tools and ideas to use in their own programs and work,” said Harper Piver, Coordinator of AZ Creative Aging, an initiative of the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

Event Details

When: Feb 20, 2016, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Where: Tucson Museum of Art, Education Center Auditorium, 140 N Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701

Cost: $5. Space is limited, so advance registration is required. Register online at http://conta.cc/20rdaaV or visit www.azarts.gov/azcreativeaging for more information.

About the Arizona Commission on the Arts

One of 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies across the United States, the Arizona Commission on the Arts is a 49-year-old agency of the State of Arizona and a leading force in the creative and professional development of Arizona’s arts sector. Through robust programs, research initiatives and strategic grantmaking, the Arts Commission catalyzes arts-based partnerships that strengthen Arizona communities through the arts.

For more information about the grants, services and programs of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, visit www.azarts.gov.

We imagine an Arizona where everyone can participate in and experience the arts.

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To request this or any other agency publication in an alternative format, contact the Arts Commission offices at (602) 771-6502. Images available upon request.