Lifetime Arts supports state arts agencies at every stage of their creative aging journey
Over the past 17 years, Lifetime Arts has partnered with more than 25 state arts agencies through National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) initiatives and other projects to expand creative aging nationwide. Together, we have designed and delivered customized professional development for agency staff, provided training and coaching for hundreds of teaching artists, supported program design and evaluation, and seeded new partnerships between arts organizations and community-based aging services. These efforts have helped states launch sustainable creative aging programs, build internal capacity to support the field, and position creative aging as a core strategy for advancing healthy aging. Current projects such as Creative Aging in the West build on this momentum, empowering agencies to pilot new approaches, partner outside the arts sector, and expand existing programs.
Whether your agency is exploring creative aging for the first time or seeking to deepen your commitment, Lifetime Arts offers proven training in culturally responsive and evidence-based programmatic approaches and a national perspective that will help you meet the unique needs of older adults in your state. Schedule a conversation with us to explore how we can help expand creative aging access in your state.
Ways Your State Arts Agency Can Work With Us
Lifetime Arts helps state arts agencies at every stage — whether just starting with creative aging or expanding established initiatives — by providing training, coaching, program design, seed funding strategies, and a national framework for sustainable impact.
Customized Training – Build agency capacity and equip organizations with the skills to design, deliver, and grow creative aging programs.
Program Design & Evaluation Support – Get expert guidance on planning, marketing, implementation, and documenting impact.
Proven Models & National Perspective – Leverage tested approaches and lessons learned from partnerships with more than 30 state arts agencies nationwide.
Cross-Sector Partnership Support – Training, coaching, and tools to help agencies work with libraries, museums, and aging services to expand access and impact for older adults.
Grant Alignment & Expansion – Position your agency to meet funder priorities, whether starting a new initiative or scaling existing creative aging work.
Supporting Creative Aging, Creative Futures Grant Projects
If your agency is planning to include Lifetime Arts in your application for NASAA’s current Creative Aging, Creative Futures grant, we invite you to connect with us prior to crafting your proposal. We’ll work with you to explore how Lifetime Arts can support your proposal and set your program up for success.
Schedule a conversation with us via Calendly to discuss your plans.
Our Track Record with State Arts Agencies
Participants in a Delaware Division of the Arts creative aging program share their stories.
Delaware Division of the Arts
Delaware leveraged Lifetime Arts’ expertise to develop and implement a statewide creative aging initiative anchored in its public library system. We provided training for teaching artists and library staff, programmatic coaching, and support with outreach, curriculum development, and needs assessment. Our partnership helped libraries overcome early hesitations and build capacity to run high-quality, inclusive programs. With our guidance, the state launched a successful grant program that has sustained momentum through multiple funding cycles.
Montana Arts Council
Montana took a deliberate, phased approach, beginning with field assessments and listening sessions to understand regional readiness for creative aging. With Lifetime Arts’ coaching, they designed a strategy grounded in local capacity and cross-sector alignment. This effort evolved into the Western States Creative Aging Initiative, featuring a strong partnership with the state library system and expanded access to training and programming across rural and urban communities.
Nebraska Arts Council
After initial training efforts, Nebraska collaborated with Lifetime Arts to support next steps: convening arts and aging stakeholders, building advocacy strategies, and strengthening cross-sector partnerships. This approach helped translate training into action, equipping organizations to continue the work beyond the pilot phase and laying the groundwork for a more connected statewide ecosystem.
New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
A longtime champion of creative aging, NYSCA partnered with Lifetime Arts to deepen statewide leadership and peer learning. In the first phase, we supported grantees through training and coaching to seed new programs. In the second phase, we helped cultivate a cohort of experienced organizations as field leaders—expanding geographic reach, fostering innovation, and sustaining momentum in underserved regions across the state.
North Dakota Council on the Arts
North Dakota had a clear, cross-sector vision and turned to Lifetime Arts for targeted support. We facilitated a two-hour training to introduce creative aging concepts to a mixed cohort of artists and service providers. Their project—developing artist-designed creative kits for older adults in care settings—was independently executed but informed by our foundational guidance. The model has since inspired similar efforts in neighboring states, including South Dakota.
Oklahoma Arts Council
Oklahoma’s engagement with Lifetime Arts began with executive coaching for a new program lead, helping her confidently navigate the creative aging landscape. Our support expanded to include training for teaching artists and organizations, a statewide convening, and a public presentation to arts sector leaders. The result: a growing statewide network and a compelling case for creative aging as a public health strategy, culminating in multi-year funding from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET)—a first for arts-based aging work in the state.
Tennessee Arts Commission
In Tennessee, Lifetime Arts provided foundational training for teaching artists aligned with the state’s grantmaking goals. When artists identified a need for deeper knowledge in inclusive design and accessibility, we developed and delivered a second, customized training in collaboration with the Commission. This included real-world input from older adults with disabilities, and built artists’ confidence and capacity to deliver accessible, impactful programming statewide.
All The State Agencies We’ve Worked with
Alabama State Council on the Arts | Arizona Commission on the Arts | Colorado Creative Industries | Connecticut Office of the Arts | Delaware Division of Arts | Idaho Commission on the Arts | Indiana Arts Commission | Kansas Art Commission | Louisiana State Arts Council | Maine Arts Commission | Maryland State Arts Council | Montana Arts Council | Nebraska Arts Council | Nevada Arts Council | New Jersey State Council on the Arts | New York State Council on the Arts | North Dakota Council on the Arts | Ohio Arts Council | Oklahoma Arts Council | South Dakota Arts Council | Tennessee Arts Commission | Utah Division of Arts and Museums | Vermont Arts Council | Wyoming Arts Council