By Marketing Coordinator Meghan Randolph
August is Arts Month at SAIL, and we’re already gearing up with some wonderful events! We have our Midsummer Gathering on August 20th featuring an all-request dueling pianos show, as well as a special discount for SAIL members to attend the world premiere musical, Hephaestus, at the newly-renovated Wisconsin Union. We’re working on a calendar of ways to witness and participate in the arts each day of August!
I’ll admit it -Arts Month was my idea! I’m a lifelong singer, actor, educator, and director. I even did a stint on the national tour of the musical Cats! I run a musical theatre company, Music Theatre of Madison, and focused my Master’s thesis on marketing for the arts. That work led me to SAIL, where I find many parallels to my other job.
SAIL is all about engaging, interacting, and learning, just like the arts. I love to see that in everyone, and older adults are no exception! It’s been really fun learning how to describe SAIL and inspire people with what we do, encouraging them to take action and be a part of it! Engagement is a huge part of marketing the arts as well.
More and more, we’re seeing evidence that witnessing and participating in the arts is beneficial to your health. I was happy to see Vitality Arts’ detailed collection of stories, published on Next Avenue. The stories detail older adults who learn, explore, and push boundaries with their creativity. The arts also help us tell our stories–our trials, our triumphs, and our journeys. Older adults have a lot of stories to tell and life lessons to share. This can happen through writing, singing, dancing, plays, musicals, numerous visual arts activities, and more.
Visit this page to see dozens of incredible stories about art as we age, including:
- The story of Marilynne Bradley, an 81-year-old St. Louis-based artist whose career and focus have evolved considerably over the years.
- Inspirational information about 63-year-old Ronald Braunstein, who started a Burlington, VT orchestra focused on taking the stigma away from mental illness.
- A production of the musical Hair staged by people who were young activists in the 1960s.
- The 7 benefits of dancing at any age.
- “Feet to the Fire Writer’s Workshops,” an organization in Louisville, KY that works with senior centers to help residents write their stories.
- How a Chelsea, NY gallery is fighting ageism by only accepting art from people over 60.
Stay tuned for more information on August Arts Month at SAIL! We hope these stories help you feel inspired to create!
Click here to go to the homepage of the Next Avenue collection of arts stories.
Independence Through Connections. 