Meals on Wheels of Southwest OH & Northern KY recently shared an engaging collaboration with ArtWorks Cincinnati as part of our health and wellness programming for older adults. Gallery Educators at ArtWorks gave tours of their new Creative Campus in Walnut Hills, led a presentation about the arts nonprofit’s mission and community impact, and engaged seniors in an artistic activity.
NOURISHING MINDS AND SPIRITS
The mission of Meals on Wheels’ health and wellness programming is to go beyond feeding seniors with nutritious meals and nourish their minds and spirits. Staying active, learning new skills and connecting with friends are essential while aging. In-person and virtual engagement opportunities are available daily from mindful meditation sessions and senior exercise on Televeda or group outings to restaurants and cultural institutions like ArtWorks.
“Health and wellness programming gives our older adults the opportunity to move their bodies, stimulate their minds and nurture their spirits. Whether it’s exercising with friends, exploring new hobbies, or connecting through meaningful conversation, each experience aims to reduce isolation and foster a sense of belonging. Every outing or virtual session is a chance to stay engaged and continue growing—at any age,” says Meals on Wheels Programs Manager Breanna Williams.
ArtWorks’ Creative Campus opened last April, presenting an immersive opportunity for Meals on Wheels Health and Wellness seniors to connect directly with the longstanding arts nonprofit. The new multifunctional space includes galleries, studios, offices, classrooms and community gathering areas. During our visit, Gallery Educators gave small-group tours of each of these spaces while describing the organization’s mission in action. They shared details of current projects (like creating artistic works for America’s River Roots Festival in October) and shared insights about the artists for whom spaces are named.
“Splendor in the Grass” was on view in the gallery at the time of our visit. This series of drawings, personal narratives and illustrations by ArtWorks Artist-in-Residence Julia Lipovsky drew inspiration from Jackie DeShannon’s 1968 song “Splendor in the Grass.” Gallery Educators provided a deep-dive into the exhibit’s themes and were available to deliver further insights as seniors viewed works up close.
Following the tour and luncheon, ArtWorks Career Development Specialist Mo Elgazzar guided seniors through an artistic activity inspired by “Splendor in the Grass.” He encouraged each of them to think of a significant “first” in their life—first love, first trip, first memory, etc. He walked them through journaling, sketching and watercolor painting to reflect their chosen “first.”
Casual and open-ended conversation unfolded as both Gallery Educators and Health and Wellness seniors described the first time they traveled an airplane, the first job they had, their first date and the first time they drove a car. With Mo’s guidance, they rendered personal moments in time into watercolor paintings, illustrating people from their lives and emotions attached to memories. They shared humorous, surprising and sentimental stories about what made those moments significant—nourishing minds and spirits in the most artistically engaging way.
ABOUT ARTWORKS CINCINNATI
ArtWorks is an award-winning Greater Cincinnati nonprofit that creates community-based public art providing career opportunities for artists of all ages. The organization collaborates with community organizations and residents, businesses, governments, foundations, and nonprofits to build creative works of art that bolster the region’s global reputation as an arts destination. ArtWorks has employed and trained over 3,500 professional artists and 4,000 youth, ages 14 – 24. We invest in our creative economy by creating jobs that support local talent, pairing professional artists to inspire and mentor diverse teams of youth, and helping them build 21st-century career-readiness skills. Over the past 29 years, this collaborative approach has created a citywide gallery with more than 14,000 public and private art projects, including more than 300 permanent outdoor murals.
View more photos of our visit on Meals on Wheels' Facebook and on ArtWorks' Instagram!