An acrylics program hosted at Lincoln County Public Library System in Wyoming. Credit: Richard Landreth and Melissa Haderlie
Building Cross-Sector Partnerships for Healthy Aging
Lifetime Arts’ “Creative Aging in the West” project is setting a bold precedent for how communities across five Western states—Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming—integrate creative aging into public health strategies and aging services. By collaborating with state agencies, local organizations, libraries, and artists, we are expanding arts-based programming that enriches the lives of older adults across all regions, from cities to rural and Tribal communities. This initiative is increasing opportunities for social connection, improving health outcomes, and demonstrating the far-reaching benefits of creativity as we age.
Over three years, this project aims to:
- Develop and implement up to 100 creative aging programs across sectors in five states, reaching up to 800 older adults.
- Strengthen multi-sector partnerships that will drive creative aging policy, infrastructure, and investment across the region.
- Support local organizations and teaching artists with training, coaching, and seed grants to grow creative aging programs in urban, rural, and frontier areas.
- Establish creative aging as an essential element of healthy aging practices through education, coalition-building, and sustained cross-sector collaboration.
We’re doing this by:
Expanding Multi-Sector State Partnerships
Lifetime Arts continues to build and strengthen state agency partnerships in arts, veterans services, health, and human services, ensuring creative aging becomes a cornerstone of public services across the West. Through coaching, vision planning, and small grants, these partnerships are helping shape future creative aging strategies that are responsive to local needs, particularly in underserved areas.
Training and Supporting Local Creative Aging Practitioners
We’re empowering artists and organizations with sector-specific training, coaching, and grants to implement and advocate for creative aging programs. Special attention is given to equipping those serving older adults in rural, frontier, and Tribal communities. These programs help older adults develop new art-making skills, build social connections, and improve overall well-being. Seed grants will support new programs, and ongoing coaching and training will ensure their sustainability.
Demonstrating Impact and Elevating Creative Aging
Creative aging has proven physical, mental, and social benefits. Through data collection and storytelling, we will showcase the impact of these programs and empower state teams to advocate for creative aging as an essential public health intervention. We are developing a messaging guidebook and accompanying training that will help state agencies and partners communicate the benefits of creative aging to funders and stakeholders.
Building a Regional Coalition for Collective Leadership
The Western States Leadership Council, created through this initiative, brings together cross-sector teams from each state to share knowledge, collaborate, and plan for the future. This Council will continue to meet regularly, exchange best practices, and drive the expansion of creative aging across the region. An in-person convening in Salt Lake City will further solidify this coalition’s role in advancing creative aging policy and practices.
Through this innovative work, we are laying the groundwork for creative aging to thrive across the West, ensuring that older adults in every community can benefit from the power of the arts as they age.
Learn About Our Partners
In addition to state art agencies, our partners include state libraries, state veterans services, and will expand to include aging services and health and human services. Current partners include:
Sector-Specific Creative Aging Seminars
In year one, Lifetime Arts hosted two sector specific webinars for folks who work in Library systems and veteran’s Services. Check them out:
Creative Aging Seminar: Library Workers Leading the Way!
This one-hour recorded seminar equips viewers with knowledge to plan evidence-based programs, featuring real-world case studies and insights from successful library workers, Krisene Watson from Campbell County Public Library System and Jamie Markus from Wyoming State Library. This video is a starting point to help you turn your library into a hub of creativity, connection, and empowerment.
Creative Aging Seminar: Serving America’s Older Veterans
This one-hour recorded seminar equips viewers on how to build effective partnerships between cultural institutions and veteran-serving organizations and explores how creative aging arts programs offer proven health and wellness benefits for veterans 55 and better. Featured is successful Idaho-based programs from Laura Roghaar from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, Kevin Wallior from the Idaho Division of Veterans Services, April Floyd and Larissa Dittman from Idaho State Veterans Home.
