TN Arts Receives National Creative Aging Grant
Tennessee receives a $60,000 Grant to Advance Creative Aging
From Teresa Bonner, Executive Director, Aroha Philanthropies –
In collaboration with Aroha Philanthropies, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is proud to announce the award of $1,457,000 in grant funding to 36 state and jurisdictional arts agencies, including a Creative Aging II grant to the Tennessee Arts Commission. Part of NASAA’s Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging initiative, these grants will expand opportunities for creative aging across the nation, facilitating lifelong learning, joy, social engagement and improved well-being for older adults.
Creative Aging Tennessee II will increase the capacity and knowledge of Tennessee based artists and arts organizations by implementing two distinct activities. First, Lifetime Arts will virtually train a core group of up to 50 artists and arts organizations in sequential learning techniques for older adults. Training sessions will be held in summer 2021 and spring 2022.
These trainings will add to the existing wealth of knowledge that artists and arts organizations have within the state and expand the number of individuals on the Arts Commission’s online teaching artist roster who are currently trained and ready to work with older adults. Second, to address resource gaps, especially in rural areas, a $50,000 grant program will provide seed funding to 10 nonprofits throughout Tennessee to serve older adults.
Nonprofits that apply for the grants opportunity will be required to contract with a creative aging teaching artist on the roster to provide sequential arts learning programs for older adults. Applicants will be able to apply for up to $5,000 in program support with no match. Grant guidelines will stipulate that at least one award will be made to applicants that can demonstrate rural impact and at least one award to applicants serving majority people of color. Through the Creative Aging Tennessee II program, key partners like the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability, local arts councils, existing creative aging nonprofit organizations and libraries will be important organizations that will assist in different aspects of the program. Grant applications will be made available in the coming weeks.
State and jurisdictional arts agencies share a public mandate to make the social, educational and health benefits of the arts accessible to everyone, especially underserved populations. Older adults—who often must contend with ageism and isolation and have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19—are an essential part of this commitment.
“This timely investment lifts up the creative capacity of older adults,” says NASAA President and CEO Pam Breaux. “By working through state arts agencies, this initiative marks a major national expansion in programs and services designed to improve quality of life and nurture meaningful community connections for older adults.”
“Aroha Philanthropies is proud to partner with NASAA to support creative aging through our state and jurisdictional arts agencies,” said Ellen Michelson, founder and president. “This initiative marks an important step toward broadened awareness, adoption and funding of creative aging programs across the country.”
The cohort of 36 state arts agencies receiving funds includes every region of the country and five U.S. jurisdictions. $60,000 grants have been awarded to the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Delaware Division of the Arts, Kentucky Arts Council, Maine Arts Commission, Maryland State Arts Council, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, Nebraska Arts Council, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Northern Marianas Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture, Ohio Arts Council, Oklahoma Arts Council, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, South Dakota Arts Council, Tennessee Arts Commission, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, and Wyoming Arts Council. $23,000 grants have been awarded to the Alabama State Council on the Arts, Colorado Creative Industries, Connecticut Office of the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Guam Council on the Arts & Humanities Agency, Idaho Commission on the Arts, Indiana Arts Commission, Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, Louisiana Division of the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Montana Arts Council, Nevada Arts Council, North Carolina Arts Council, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, Vermont Arts Council, Virgin Islands Council on the Arts, Washington State Arts Commission, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, and Wisconsin Arts Board.
With this funding, each state will conduct creative aging activities tailored to the unique needs of its constituents. Activities will include bolstering existing creative aging programs, supporting residencies, providing professional development for teaching artists, developing creative aging communities of practice, providing direct programming to older adult audiences, cultivating creative aging partnerships and more.
For information about activities taking place in each state, see NASAA’s summary of grant awards. For more information about NASAA’s Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging initiative, contact NASAA Arts Learning Projects Director Susan Oetgen at susan.oetgen@nasaa-arts.org.
