MAKING THE DREAM BECOME REALITY
Have you ever had a dream? My friend Elisabeth Larson (1941-2021) and I, both teachers in arts appreciation and arts expressions programming for Museum One, were successful in bringing the arts into our Washington, D.C. community, including schools, senior facilities and continuing educational centers. However, we always had a vision of establishing Creating for Life Centers outlined below in a proposal we wrote to a local organization. Although we were not able to fulfill our goal, perhaps you, your friends and members of your community can find a way to enhance and expand your experience of each day through the spirituality of creativity so important today.
See: our blogs this Tuesday and Thursday for the next steps on the journey of self-discovery!
THROUGH AN ARTIST’S EYES: LEARNING HOW TO LIVE CREATIVELY
Museum One, a multi-arts outreach organization founded in 1982, draws on years of experience in developing arts appreciation programming in healing arts. Our goal is to establish Creating for Life Centers in hospitals, senior facilities, hospices, school, libraries, and pre-retirement centers.
Vincent van Gogh, Wheatfield with Cypresses, 1889, oil on canvas, Purchase, Annenberg Foundation Gift, 1993, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York
Working with individuals of all ages, the artists/teachers of Museum One can integrate Creating for Life Centers into clinical settings and educational institutions with outstanding results. The outcomes can enhance the experience of life for both the healthy and the disabled and continue to bring meaning and purpose to those who are nearing the end of life or a career. Most importantly, the Creating for Life Centers are based on a curriculum designed to provide an educational continuum covering all art forms, and bringing together the physical, mental and spiritual essence of an individual.
Creating for Life Centers are founded on arts appreciation including the five major art forms.
1. Visual Art
2. Creative Movement
3. Music
4. Poetry and Literature
5. Art of Discussion
The core of our arts appreciation programming is the artist and his or her works of art, whether a painter, dancer, composer, author or playwright. Each artist enables participants to see the world with a new set of eyes, enabling them to live the exciting life of creativity—expanding and enhancing their experiences of each day. A journey of personal discovery that can begin at any age or time through the special gift of the artist!
Creating for Life Centers can be an integral part of each facility. Arts appreciation sessions will be led by our artist/teacher professionals tailored for the needs of participants. We will conduct an ongoing assessment and evaluation of each individual, always aware of personal changes and developments.
We will also work closely with staff so that we can most effectively implement our arts appreciation programming into the environment of the facility or institution.
COMING TUESDAY—THE NEXT STEPS
VISUAL ART: A PAINTING CAN CHANGE A LIFE FOREVER!
CREATIVE MOVEMENT: DANCING CAN FREE THE BODY AND SOUL!
The Metropolitan Museum of Art does not endorse or approve use of the above image or any of the material on this website. Nor has the Metropolitan Museum of Art participated in any projects utilizing the said image.
In the public domain. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify, and distribute this image even for commercial purposes.
