Expanding Boundaries: Creative Aging in the Western States
This special Western States edition of the Lifetime Arts Creative Aging Resource Journal, highlights the inspiring voices growing creative aging across Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
This summer, as part of our Creative Aging in the West initiative, we facilitated convenings across these states, connecting with community leaders, artists, and advocates committed to expanding access to creative aging. I had the privilege of attending the Idaho gathering, where, alongside Arts Idaho and the Idaho Commission on Libraries, I saw the incredible potential of cross-sector collaboration. We met with artists, educators, aging experts, and library and cultural workers to explore the transformative impact of creative programming on combating loneliness and reshaping perceptions of aging—from Boise to rural communities. Through partnerships with local arts centers and libraries, we witnessed how these programs bring older adults together, fostering joy and connection through creative expression.
In this issue, you’ll find stories from across the West, each one offering a unique perspective on creative aging. We begin with an interview with Emily Christensen, a creative aging coordinator and music therapist in Utah. Emily shares her journey into creative aging and how her music therapy background informs her approach. She discusses the distinctions between creative aging and art therapy and offers insights from her work with individuals experiencing dementia.
In Breaking Barriers to Creativity, Shereen Choudhurdy highlights the Historic Westside of Las Vegas, where older adults at the Doolittle Senior Center engage in the arts, many for the first time. Through conversations with students from poet Vogue Robinson’s program, Shereen showcases the Westside’s rich history and the role of creative expression in honoring that heritage.
You’ll also find a photo gallery from a Montana creative aging program where participants learned photography, capturing scenes of life in the West. In regions where programs for older adults are scarce, photography has become a way to build bonds and discover new perspectives.
Finally, don’t miss Dixie Means’ reflection from Wyoming. Her experience in a woodworking class at Gillette College’s Makerspace is a testament to the power of creative aging to foster confidence and connection, proving that even the most challenging endeavors can bring pride and purpose.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the growing momentum of creative aging in the West. These stories highlight the power of the arts to uplift and transform communities. With the support of the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, we’re excited to continue expanding creative aging access by strengthening cross-sector partnerships in these states and beyond.
Liza Cucco
Director of Strategic Communications
Interview with Emily Christensen: Creative Aging, Music Therapy, and Building Social Connections
This month, I spoke to Emily Christensen, a musician, gerontologist, and creative aging advocate, on her journey and insights into working with older adults through music therapy and creative aging.
How has your journey through music, therapy, and gerontology shaped your work with older adults?
EC: I started out with a love for music and a desire to be a social worker. In college, I discovered music therapy, which perfectly combined those interests. During my practicum, I worked mostly with older adults. It wasn’t what I initially intended, yet I found I was most comfortable working with that population. Soon, I was doing a lot of work with older adults, and in assisted living facilities.
I took a long career break from music therapy to focus on parenting. When I returned to it, I ended up working in hospice care, and eventually decided to pursue a master’s degree in gerontology. I thought this would give me an opportunity to really promote music therapy from within the larger field of gerontology. That’s when I discovered creative aging. The idea that engaging in the arts is good for everyone, regardless of setting or age, really resonated with me…
Breaking Barriers to Creativity: Art, Aging, and Equity in Las Vegas’s Historic Westside
by Shereen Choudhury
Andrea, an energetic woman in her late 60s, is passionate about crochet. She’s wearing a stylish hat she made at Doolittle Senior Center in the Historic Westside of Las Vegas, where she was born and raised. Three years ago, Andrea came here to learn crochet. Now, her schedule is packed with classes—one per day, from dancing and stretching to her favorite: crochet on Fridays.
Andrea discovered her creativity in retirement after 42 years working for the county. Her life choices were about creating safety and ensuring her kids had opportunities she didn’t. I met Andrea at a creative aging program led by Vogue Robinson, Nevada’s former Poet Laureate. Vogue’s four-week series, funded by the Nevada Arts Council, combined poetry and paint pouring. Although the program was capped at nine, 14 people signed up within a day, and Vogue welcomed them all, adjusting her plans.
The first day of Vogue’s class was Andrea’s first time using paints or writing poetry, which surprised me considering all the creative experiences I had growing up. After speaking with several participants, I learned this was the norm for all of the students. None had arts education in school—no art, creative writing, or painting.
In marginalized communities, especially Black communities, access to arts education has historically been limited. However, creative aging programs like those at Doolittle Senior Center are working to fill that gap, providing older adults with opportunities for creative expression, skill-building, and community engagement. This is the story of how one such program is making an impact in Las Vegas’s Historic Westside.
Capturing the Montana Landscape
Photographs by Margaret Murray, Jean Murray, Georgia Brember, and Larry Wolf.
Taught by photographer Jacob Cogwill, this introductory photography program empowered older adult students to explore the art of photography, experimenting with perspective, framing, and post-production techniques. Through hands-on learning and thoughtful feedback sessions, students discovered new ways to capture their surroundings, and their culminating exhibition sparked meaningful discussions on favorite shots and applied skills. Inspired by the success of the program, students expressed strong interest in advancing to portrait photography and mentoring newcomers, demonstrating both enthusiasm and community spirit for creative growth. This program was organized by Aron LaFromboise, director of library services at Medicine Spring Library in Browning, Montana.
Forging Connections Through Creativity at Campbell County Public Library
Librarian Krisene Watson shares an unexpected journey from one of her most initially reluctant creative aging students,.
Joey (pictured above, far right) had never considered himself an artist. At sixty-eight, he was more comfortable navigating the intricacies of his work as a railroader than wrestling with paintbrushes or glue. Yet, when his wife, Becky, signed him up for the Creative Aging Fused Glass class at Thunder Basin High School, he felt a mix of annoyance and resignation. “It’s just a waste of time. I don’t do crafting!” he muttered as he started his first day. Little did he know how much the decision to humor his wife and come would change his perspective.
Hear from Dixie, another older adult artist who was impacted by a creative aging woodworking program in Wyoming by clicking here.
Resources
Black Students Deserve Equitable Access to Arts Education (2023)
Cross-Sector Training Highlights: Building Leadership & Investment (2023)
Programming Roundup: State Agencies, Urban Library Systems, Museums, & Arts Organizations (2021)
Share a creative aging resource you think should be featured in our database.
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