Art with Elders as Viewed through the Experience of Older Adult Artists

This paper summarizes the functional strengths and weaknesses of the Art with Elders (AWE) program. Art with Elders is a non-profit organization that seeks to engage older adults in participatory visual arts as part of a vibrant aging journey. To determine functional strengths and weaknesses of the program, I observed art classes, interviewed participants, and interviewed activity directors at cites where AWE operates. Based on my findings, I describe the ways in which AWE creates an ecology where creativity thrives and participants become artists, and I describe the ways in which the program falls short of this goal. I make recommendations to strengthen AWE. In the larger context of gerontology, this paper explores how identities form and are influenced by skill-building in late life.