Grant will fund Senior Living Communities program in 2013-14
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Written by: University Communication and Marketing

The University of Iowa Museum of Art(UIMA) has received a grant award of $2,100 from Humanities Iowa, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in support of a program called Senior Living Communities (SLC).

A group of people standing in front of artwork made up of painted tiles
Several participants from the UIMA Senior Living Communities program stand in front of SLC Mosaic (2013), which they helped create. SLC participants and UIMA docents painted more than 100 tiles for the mosaic. Each tile is autobiographical. Photo courtesy of UI Museum of Art.

The SLC program stimulates discussion about art, culture, and history through docent-facilitated discussions and hands-on activities that engage senior groups. This service will be provided free of charge to senior participants during 90 presentations at 15 senior centers in Iowa during the 2013–2014 academic year.

As a state institution, the UIMA collects, conserves, and exhibits major works of art in order to teach its constituents—including UI students, faculty and staff;Iowans, and visitors from around the world—how to better understand and appreciate art and world civilizations. The SLC program provides informative and stimulating presentations to Iowa seniors, many of whom would not otherwise benefit from the public resources of the UIMA.

Throughout its 44-year existence, the UIMA has offered a broad range of public and educational programs designed to assist visitors in interpreting its collections and enhancing understanding and appreciation of the visual arts. The UIMA has served as a regional and national center for the creative arts that facilitates exhibitions, performances, and educational programs. The 2008 flood forced the UIMA to re-think its past approaches to achieving goals. In an aggressive outreach effort, the UIMA continues to serve its audiences while working toward establishing a new permanent home.

Humanities Iowa’s mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of the people, communities, cultures, and stories of importance to Iowa and the nation. It conducts its own programs that support the humanities across Iowa. In addition, it provides grants to other nonprofit organizations that further the humanities in the state. Founded in 1971, Humanities Iowa is an affiliate the National Endowment for the Humanities or NEH in Washington, D.C.