Museums and Aging

Fighting ageism and promoting lifelong learning and creativity.

Combat Ageism. Your Future Self Will Thank You.

Of the many -isms we are grappling with as individuals and as a society, one of the strangest is ageism. Strange because, in the best case, we will all reach old age. So we are effectively …

Report: Positive trends in aging, but not for everyone

Morgan Sherburne-Michigan, Futurity

More older Americans are able to meet their daily care needs without assistance, a report shows, but concerning gaps remained for older Black and Hispanic people. According to the …

What I Learned in a Year of Writing “Museums and Creative Aging: A Healthful Partnership”

Marjorie Schwarzer

The creative aging movement is coming of age, and just in the nick of time. As of last year, 80 percent of state arts agencies across the United States reported a high or very high demand …

New Report—Museums and Creative Aging: A Healthful Partnership

American Alliance of Museums

This landmark report commissioned by the American Alliance of Museums and written by Marjorie Schwarzer is a call to action for museums to change the narrative about what it means to grow …

World Health Organization ‘Global Report On Ageism’ Outlines Framework For Action

Sheila Callaham, Forbes

In collaboration with the United Nations, the World Health Organization released its " Global Report on Ageism " and issued a call-to-action for all ages. The 200-page report defines a …

Why Older People Managed to Stay Happier Through the Pandemic

New surveys over the last year show that the ability to cope improves with age. For all its challenges to mental health, this year of the plague also put psychological science to the …

Seasons of Growth: Creative Aging on Display at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center

Claire Carlson

In October 2020, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, opened the gallery exhibition Art Links Sheboygan: Seasons of Growth, the culmination of a new program to …

COVID-19 and the Future of Aging: Technology for Connecting

This interview with MIT Age Lab's Joseph F. Coughlin explores the development of technologies that enable older adults to connect with their communities and live independ…

Viva La Vida: Creative Aging at the National Museum of Mexican Art

Joseph O'Neill

Like many of the museums that have discussed their creative aging work for our “Museums and Aging” series, the National Museum of Mexican Art participates in Seeding Vitality …

Baby boomers are struggling in their 60s

Howard Gold, MarketWatch

Nearly 900,000 Americans between the ages of 60 and 69 lost their jobs between December 2019 and December 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 5% decline in the number of …

The Benefits and Challenges of Producing Creative Aging Programs for the LGBTQIA+ Community

Eli Burke

Since 2018, AAM has partnered with Aroha Philanthropies to highlight and support museums that are developing programs for older adults, and to encourage others to do the same. The aim has …

Lessons on Resilience From LGBTQ Elders

Researchers studying LGBTQ elders find that the unfortunate experience of resisting homophobia and/or transphobia provides the emotional and psychological tools needed to resist a…

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