My Nonprofit Reviews

As director of a full time Art Program at Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living(4 levels of long term care) since 1990, I learned about Art with Elders in 2000. I was so impressed with their show at the De Young Museum that year, in its breadth and variety of personal expression, techniques/media and formal concerns being included in the process, I approached Brent Nettle, the executive director of AWE. He came out to see my then, 10 year old program and invited us to show our residents' art with them. Since 2001, our residents, families, caregivers and staff have looked forward annually to this event as the highlight of their year.

Though we had wonderful response and interactions to our own exhibits at sites in the larger community of the East Bay, the Gala for AWE added the extra dimension of the artists seeing other work- by elders -in long term care from all over the Bay area.What was so exciting was that AWE connected elder artists in many nursing homes to each other and immediately expanded their artistic horizons. The gala opening brought everyone together, creating an artistic community and fostered awareness in the elders of their own abilities as individuals, artists, and mentors. They also became aware of themselves as a collective group that could communicate with a larger audience. Families and staff saw the elders in a new and positive way, and the continuously touring exhibit widened the audience to include people who encountered elder art in their work places, recreational centers, and public buildings.

Art with Elders helps to open the artist’s eyes to see they have a unique and life changing perspective to share; it enlightens the other generations to look to these elders for direction -and a glimpse into what positive and creative aging may look like in their own lives.

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