Creative Aging Convening 2024: The Creative Age

9:30 am: Arrival and breakout session sign-up. Coffee, tea, and breakfast pastries (South Sturm Pavilion, Martin Building)

10-10:45 am: Opening Keynote talks (South Sturm Pavilion, Martin Building)

• “Alma Thomas: The Creative Age” by Molly Medakovich, Teaching Specialist, Denver Art Museum
• “Forging a Creative Path” by Damon McLeese, Executive Director, Access Gallery 11:00-11:45 am: Visit Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum special exhibition (Level 1, Hamilton Building)

12-12:45 pm: Catered Lunch (South Sturm, Martin Building)

1-2 pm: Breakout Sessions*, Round 1 (Workshops, Martin Building)

2:15-3:15 pm: Breakout Sessions*, Round 2 (Workshops, Martin Building)

3:30-4 pm: Summation and Next Steps (Creative Hub, Martin Building)

4-5:30 pm: Cocktail hour and Second Stages community partner conversation

*BREAKOUT SESSION TOPICS:

Creativity in Response to Adversity with Jason Eaton-Lynch (Director of Elder Services, The Center on Colfax)

Death of a loved one, illness, loss of autonomy, or any undesirable change can induce adversity and provoke despair, anxiety, depression, or a sense of helplessness. Creativity is a natural mechanism that can be used to displace these feelings and emotions. In this hands-on workshop, we will explore how creativity presents us with a way to heal through discussion and hands-on activities.

BrainDance: The Mind & Body Connection with Emily Herrin and Katherine Reller (Colorado Ballet)

Explore BrainDance, an accessible, adaptive, and creative movement experience perfect for all ages and abilities, while sampling the Colorado Ballet Education program for older adults. This sequential and holistic exercise framework uses movement patterns to integrate reflexes into our bodies and remap or strengthen our neurological system. Practiced regularly, BrainDance can help improve focus, mindfulness, energy, behavior, flexibility/mobility, and cognition.

Adult Aging Bingo with Seth Hyman, Laura Kinder, and Karla Pérez (Spark the Change Colorado)

Join Spark the Change Colorado's Senior Companion Program and Mental Wellness Program for a laid back, yet informative game exploring the challenges and stigmas affecting older adults in Colorado and the resources that exist to help break down these barriers. Help answer pressing concerns for not only older adults facing these issues, but also for the families who provide the crucial care giving activities needed for their loved ones.

Universal Design: The Intersection of Accessibility and Aging with Danielle Schulz (Denver Art Museum)

Explore common accessibility barriers present in many education programs and explore how to use Universal Design principles to design accessible and inclusive programs for older adults.

Stitch Meditation with Elizabeth Stanbro (Create Calm)

Engage in a free form stitching activity using guided meditation and the rhythmic and repetitive action of stitching to help slow down and be present in the moment.

What Dementia Teaches Us: An Empowering, Practical Session with Brenda Gurung (Be Growth Dementia Education)

We often hear that people with dementia are aggressive, or they lose their selfhood, or they will forget those who love them. But this session invites us into a different perspective – to see the ability, agency and purpose of those individuals living with dementia. We'll discuss 4 topics: insights from research; methods to maintain (and sometimes improve) abilities; common dementia impacts and how to work through them; and best practices from Memories in the Making how to assist individuals to create art.

Art Rx: The Health Benefit of Creative Engagement with Dr. Sheridan Green, Dr. Tracey Lippard, and Curtis Robbins (Kaiser Permanente Colorado)

Explore the health outcomes of creative engagement activities for older adults. Learn from providers and health researchers what we currently know and what more we need to understand.