Vitality Arts at Mia
Mia’s Vitality Arts programs are five-week art-making workshops for adults 55 and older. These workshops, led by professional teaching artists, encourage older adults to tap into their creativity and connect with the museum’s collection. Past programs have included workshops in drawing, painting, performance, jewelry making, assemblage, street art, mural painting, and more.
Programming for older adults sparks creativity, creates lasting friendships, and celebrates older artists as vital to our community. While Mia collaborates with communities of older adults through these workshops, our staff are working in other ways too—through focus groups, staff and volunteer training, visitor evaluations, and advocacy work—to make Mia a more age-friendly museum.
The Vitality Arts Project for Art Museums, funded by E. A. Michelson Philanthropy, is a nationwide cohort of twenty-five museums working to provide meaningful arts programming for older adults “55 and better.” Vitality Arts at Mia started as a two-year program in 2022 and was extended for a third year in 2024.
Mia offers scholarships and sliding-scale ticket prices to accommodate all learners—and no experience is necessary. All materials are provided for the duration of the class. See current offerings, at left.
Testimonials
“It is difficult to fully capture how impactful and extraordinary this class has been for me. Community, expansion, expression of self and joy! I can simply say . . . you created an opening for my new creative life!” – Intro to Drawing participant
“It was like we discovered something in us that was hidden before, skills that we didn’t even know we had.” – Cultural Assemblage participant
Related Press
Mill City Times: “Mia’s Lifelong Learning Programs For Adults 55 and Over”
June 1, 2024
Upcoming Events
Vitality Arts: Watercolor Workshop 2.0
Back by Popular Demand! In this five week workshop students will work from observation, photographs, and their imaginations to create vibrant, delicate, and luminous works using this translucent medium. Learn new skills or refine your existing painting practice.
Wednesdays, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
September 18 – October 16, 2024
Vitality Arts: Abstract Painting with Ilene Krug Mojsilov
Vitality Arts: Portraiture for Everyone
Have you always wanted to try portrait drawing but didn’t know where to start? Mia’s beginner portraiture class will help you gain the skills and confidence to succeed at drawing the human face. Each week students will create gesture drawings, contour drawings, and even collage from a live model. We’ll explore a range of drawing styles, such as cubism, realism, and cartoon art, and take short tours of Mia’s galleries to inspire and inform our projects.
Wednesdays, 1 to 4 p.m.
October 23 – November 20, 2024
Vitality Arts: The Art of Weaving: An Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving
Tapestry weaving has been practiced across cultures for more than two thousand years and is a fascinating contemporary art form. Weavings can be created using inexpensive tools and simple techniques, making it a highly engaging and accessible medium.
This five-session workshop, led by visual artist, designer, and tapestry weaver Lynda Monick-Isenberg, will teach you how to weave patterns and pictorial designs in brilliant colors and textures. You will prepare the frame loom, practice fundamental weaving techniques, and finish the textile—all within a collaborative learning environment. We will visit Mia’s galleries to view works in the museum’s textile collection and learn about tapestry’s place in historical and contemporary art.
Tuesdays, 1 to 4 p.m.
November 12 – December 110, 2024
Video
55 and Better: Vitality Arts at Mia
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