Project Grant

Students will: see, analyze and think critically; gain a new way of seeing/discussing art; be exposed to art from diverse artists/different cultures; be more confident; have opportunity for socialization; and experience health benefits art provides. ; There are a variety of expected outcomes once the proposal is complete. 1. Access: Students will experience increased access to the arts via the reduction in geographic, cultural and physical barriers. The entire idea/purpose behind the Senior Art-Reach program is to increase older adult access to the arts. We understand that older adults face a vairety of barriers to participating in artistic opportunities including cost, transportation, health, physical, etc. The Senior Art-Reach program is designed to address these barriers and bring artistic opportunities to older adults who are unable to get to the art center. We have extensive experience working with older adults through our in-house and offsite older adult classes. We have created an ADA Access plan and have received grant funding from MRAC in the past to increase the accessibility to our art classes, specifically for individuals with disabilities as many older adults are part of this population. After this project is complete, there will be increased access to artistic opportunities in Region 7W. 2. Learning: Students will experience a change in knowledge and attitude. They will have increased knowledge of different artists and artistic techniques. As part of each class, students will create a project inspired by a particular artist and will learn a little bit about the life, work and techniques of the artist. Projects will be inspired by a variety of diverse artists from history as well as the present such as Frida Kahlo, Kathe Kollwitz, Diego Velazquez, Camille Claudel, and more. Students will gain new skills in different visual art mediums and each class they take will build upon the knowlege and skills learned in previous classes. In addition to a change in knowledge and attitude, students will also experience a change in behavior or condition. The Senior Art-Reach program will provide numerous benefits for older adults including a sense of community and improved well-being. Past feedback surveys from our older adult program participants show that 82% of participants improved creative expression; 77% increased mental engagement; 74% formed new/stronger relationships; and 51% were encouraged to participate in other community activities. 3. Community: Students will build connections to their own and others' cultural hertitage. Our Senior Art-Reach program is a community outreach program. It is completely community based. One of the major goals of the Senior Art-Reach program is to build community and foster new relationships and friendships among older adults and provide ways for older adults to get involved in the community. The Senior Art-Reach program provides older adults with the opportunity to socialize and connect with other members of their community and helps them to build long lasting friendships. The older adults that participate in the classes are from a wide range of different cultural heritages/backgrounds. When they take classes together, they learn from each other and are enriched by each others' history, background, experiences, culture, etc. Art is an effective way of bringing people together and building community. Interviews/conversations with participants/board/staff/leaders; Meetings w/community partners; Community dialogue; Reviewing recorded info or documents (such as finances, attendance records, work plans); Observation; and Surveying (paper or online).; The evaluation plans/methods will include the following: Interviews/conversations with participants Interviews/conversations with board/staff/leaders Meetings with community partners (i.e. Elk River Senior Center and St. Michael Library) Community dialogue (group conversations with a large group) Reviewing recorded information or documentation