Arts Learning

Intermedia Arts successfully offered 3 new workshops to seniors and youth in the GenArt program utilizinfour 4 types of art forms: Graffiti and Aerosol Art, Photography and Creative Writing, and Music Production. These workshops were new to the Southwest Senior Center community and the art disciplines were art forms that are not typically offer to seniors. The bringing together of youth and seniors for mutual arts experiences is also unique for the senior center community and something that prior to the Arts Learning funding Intermedia Arts was not able to offer regularly. Intermedia Arts tracks all workshops and art events and measures the increase of quantity and type of art experiences offered in all programs year to year. 2: In order to mitigate identified barriers to participation in arts experiences, Intermedia Arts made the GenArt workshops free for all youth and seniors. The artists and materials were brought to the Southwest Senior Center to make is easier for the seniors to participate in an environment where they felt comfortable. Youth were given bus cards to travel to the senior center and parents and artists were reimbursed for the gas costs of traveling to the senior center. Buses equipped with mobility assistance were used to bring the seniors to Intermedia Arts for the presentation event. When evaluating the program Intermedia Arts staff asked youth and seniors about how these efforts aided them in participating in the GenArt program.