Aroha Philanthropies has just released a call for proposals to museums interested in participating in its new Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums initiative.

The Alliance is collaborating with Aroha and Lifetime Arts to usher a museum cohort through the program they have designed and tested over the years with a variety of cultural organizations. Grants of up to $25,000 support the development of three instructional arts workshop series for older adults. (In addition to the funding, Aroha provides training, technical assistance, and helps organizations connect with teaching artists who can conduct the workshops.) Aroha Philanthropies will provide program funding for a second year, contingent on successful completion of the first year of programming.

Aroha hopes that the applicants for this funding includes a robust cross section of our field, including art, history, natural history, and science museums, historic houses and sites, arboretums, aquariums and zoos.

Preference will be given to proposals that integrate at least part of the art programming into the museum’s public space, and make use of the museum’s collections, and/or create affordable and accessible programs that serve racially, culturally, and socio-economically diverse audiences.

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If you are interested in applying for Seeding Vitality Arts funding, register to join a webinar on June 13, 2018 to learn more about the program. (The webinar will be recorded for those who cannot participate live.) The online grant application will open after the webinar concludes.

Here are some encomiums from museums that have participated in previous rounds of Vitality Arts funding:

“We have seen wonderful co-learning as participants master different art forms in the Vitality Arts program at the Newark Museum. Equally powerful have been the relationships that participants develop with each other and with the works of art in the galleries—they see new things through each other’s eyes and develop the confidence to express their own creativity. Whether a collage inspired by an African textile, a 3d printed ring inspired by our jewelry collection, a painting inspired by an American landscape, or a poem inspired by a Native American pueblo pot, each new artist makes a connection with the people in their class and with a part of the Museum.

Building upon the model developed by Aroha and Lifetime Arts, the teaching artists have also enhanced their practice. Working with Museum staff, they learned to incorporate gallery observation and conversation into their classes, ensuring that participants use the Museum as a resource for social interaction and for inspiration that challenges their artistic talents.

We are excited that with this new initiative other museum colleagues will have the opportunity to expand their understanding of how to learn from and work with this growing audience of older adults.”
–Sonnet Takahisa, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Newark Museum

“The Carle is thrilled to be a part of the “Seeding Vitality Arts” initiative, contributing not just to our local community but to an important and growing national movement. In the past two years, we’ve hosted Create with The Carle! classes both on- and offsite, building valuable partnerships with local senior centers and residential communities and helping to develop a new audience for us. Some of our students who were first-time visitors have even become part of our museum family, becoming members, volunteers, and participating in other museum programs.”
–Alexandra Kennedy, Executive Director of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art