Museums and Aging

Fighting ageism and promoting lifelong learning and creativity.

Creative Aging Strategies from Abroad

By Bill Tramposch

A couple of years ago, New Zealand’s Office for Seniors initiated the development of a “Healthy Ageing Strategy.” Toward that end, they invited leading national organizations and agencies to contribute thoughts to their …
A Historic Textile Mill Inspires Creative Agers at Museum L-A

By Denise Scammon

In 2018, twenty organizations enrolled in a special museum cohort of Aroha Philanthropies’ Seeding Vitality Arts program. With funding from Aroha, and training provided by Lifetime Arts, these museums are developing high-quality, intensive …
The Old Man’s Guide to Health and Longer Life, 1750!

By Bill Tramposch

In the nearly endless stacks of the British Library there rests a little book entitled The Old Man’s Guide to Health and Longer Life. It was written in 1750 by a gentleman named John Hill, and it is a delightful read for two reasons: …
Somewhere Near the End

By Dr. Virginia Tandy

Creative aging is a global movement, and the demographic phenomena behind it are happening in many countries beyond the United States. Today’s guest post on the Ad Summa blog comes from a leader in the UK’s creative aging movement, Dr. …
Funding for Creative Aging Programs

By Bill Tramposch

Without exception, the idea of initiating creative aging projects and programs at our museums is a very attractive one, but finding support to launch such efforts is another matter altogether. But let’s look on the bright(ening) side. More …
Philanthropy and Creative Aging

By Bill Tramposch

Philanthropy is often thought of as the giving of money to some cause, in our case to our museums. But in essence philanthropy is a human resource, and as such it should be viewed from three perspectives: not just treasure but also …
Programs for People “Fifty-five and Better”

By Teresa Bonner

In 2018, twenty organizations enrolled in a special museum cohort of Aroha Philanthropies’ Seeding Vitality Arts® program. This is the third cohort of grantees that have received funding from Aroha, and training provided by Lifetime Arts, …
What Can Catching Flies Teach Us About Creative Aging?

By Bill Tramposch

I recently read the book The Fly Trap by Fredrik Sjöberg, which I highly recommend to museum colleagues, for reasons which get to the very essence of museums and creative aging. Sjöberg is an entomologist who lives on the island of Runmarö …
Celebrating Personal Histories: The Neon Museum’s creative aging performance workshops

By Joanne (Jo) Russ

In 2018, twenty organizations enrolled in a special museum cohort of Aroha Philanthropies’ Seeding Vitality Arts program. With funding from Aroha, and training provided by Lifetime Arts, these museums are developing high-quality, intensive …
How Are Older People Different?

By Bill Tramposch

It’s always risky to bundle a demographic into one description, but very credible research has revealed a great deal about the over-fifty demographic in the United States: who they are, in general, and what they seek in their lives. As …