The Wartburg Adult Care Community (The Wartburg) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing the mind, body, and spirit of older adults. Since its founding in 1899, The Wartburg has offered a continuum of care at its Mt. Vernon campus, and provides outreach to local parishes, senior centers, and civic organizations. In 2010, The Wartburg received a grant to enlist the aid of Lifetime Arts, which consults with many organizations on the design and implementation of creative aging programs and is led by a teaching artist. Lifetime Arts completed a survey of the Wartburg’s senior residents and staff, designed to gauge their interest in the arts. The findings were clear—residents and staff desired more arts and cultural programming.
In 2011, The Wartburg Council for Creative Aging was established to allow its nearly 500 senior residents in the assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing residence, and adult day programs to express themselves through art, song, theater, poetry, and oral histories. In difficult financial times, launching the Council required some creativity. Fortunately, the Council discovered a unique method for both cutting costs and serving the community; The Wartburg’s common rooms were vacant at night, while artists in the community were paying high rents for studio space. Ann Frey, the director of the Council, began recruiting teaching artists to use The Wartburg’s space in the evening as art studios, free of rent. In exchange, the artists were asked to teach classes to the older adult residents.
After completing its first successful year, the Council has planned, developed, and launched its program and has hired several teaching artists for visual, instrumental, and choral arts, and has promoted self-expression through development of oral histories. Frey says that the unique bartering system comports with The Wartburg’s longstanding mission, to offer dignity and hope to older adults and their caregivers, while continuing to play an important role in the community of Mt. Vernon. In addition to individual artists, the Council has partnered with art classes. One such art class had been spending 60 percent of its income on rent, but 100 percent of its income is now used for the class, a win-win for all.
One of the most popular art classes offered is an African drumming circle, though during its first week it was a challenge because some of the adult day program members were hesitant. But by the second week, the drumming circles had captured the residents’ attention, and the circles became a permanent program to which residents look forward each week. In addition to rehearsal space, the local drumming teacher needed a place to store the drums. As they are now kept at The Wartburg, residents have regular access to the instruments.
Additional classes include acrylic painting and choral classes. Computer classes have been added for residents, some coordinated by an Americorps volunteer. The Council is still in its infancy and growing rapidly. Director Ann Frey recently attended a conference on creative aging to help make sure that the program can achieve its goals. The Council provides an opportunity for self-expression, lifelong learning, fun, a sense of accomplishment, and self-esteem for residents, many of whom have cognitive or physical impairments.
Additionally, The Wartburg joined the National Center for Creative Aging to avail itself of the educational resources that the Center provides. Challenges include managing the program across multiple buildings on the campus and ensuring that the residents’ unique needs are met. Planning is in progress to offer arts festivals at The Wartburg’s campus, featuring the work of residents, teaching artists and community members. The Wartburg Council will also extend opportunities for partnerships to other community organizations within and outside the arts community. The long-term plan for the Wartburg Council for Creative Aging is to develop an intergenerational component.
To learn more visit their site at http://www.thewartburg.org/