Teaching artist Barrie Lynn Bryant presents Creative Aging program participant Linda Umbdenstock with a copy of the culminating event advertising poster featuring her photograph.
In partnership with Lifetime Arts, the Wyoming State Library, and the Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division, the Wyoming Arts Council is announcing the creation of a Creative Aging Peer Learning Group. These facilitated online conversations are designed to bring together Wyoming teaching artists, librarians, and senior center staff to get connected and be provided with professional development opportunities related to their Creative Aging programming. Creative Aging programs are specifically designed to provide social connections and opportunities to learn new artistic skills for Wyoming’s older adults. For the last several years, the Wyoming Arts Council and its partners have been engaged in an ongoing effort to develop and support Creative Aging programming in Wyoming.
The Peer Learning Group will meet virtually on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 1 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m.; and Thursday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. Participants can join for one, two, or all three sessions, and can register using this link. The registration form also includes a brief interest survey to help organizers identify themes and topics for the meetings of the group.
The Creative Aging Peer Learning Group is being developed in conjunction with Lifetime Arts as part of their Creative Aging in the Western States Initiative and is being offered to participants free of charge. The primary goal is to build improved cross-sector relationships for all Creative Aging partners across Wyoming, including teaching artists, arts administrators, librarians, and senior center staff. Topics of discussion will be guided by responses to the registration survey, but are expected to include networking opportunities, discussions about funding opportunities, and facilitated presentations from expert guest speakers.
“We’re excited to arrange these cross-sector conversations for Wyoming-based Creative Aging practitioners,” said Josh Chrysler of the Wyoming Arts Council. “We have been helping develop infrastructure for Creative Aging programming in Wyoming for several years now, and a common request we get is to facilitate networking and connection opportunities across the state and across sectors, to bring together people and organizations who are developing Creative Aging programs.”
For more information or to learn how to get involved, please contact Josh Chrysler at the Wyoming Arts Council at Joshua.Chrysler@wyo.gov or 307-256-2010. You can also learn more about the Wyoming Arts Council at wyomingartscouncil.org.