FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alabama
State Council on the Arts Secures New Funding for Creative Aging
MONTGOMERY,
Ala., (April 19,
2021) — Alabama State Council on the Arts recently
secured new funding from a national grant program to advance creative aging
programs for older adults in Alabama.
Recognizing that older adults have many
contributions to make to their communities—but that they often face ageism and isolation
and have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19—the Council on the
Arts sought funding from the Leveraging State Investments in Creative Aging program, a joint initiative of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and
Aroha Philanthropies. Alabama secured $23,000 for Better with Age:
Alabama's
Creative Aging Initiative.
"NASAA is proud to have Alabama in our creative aging
cohort," said Pam Breaux, NASAA President and CEO. "This grant will help to grow opportunities for creative
aging in Alabama over time, facilitating
lifelong learning, joy, social engagement, and improved well-being for older
adults."
"Aroha
Philanthropies is proud to partner with NASAA to support creative aging through
our state and jurisdictional arts agencies," said Ellen Michelson, founder
and president of the foundation. "This initiative marks an important step toward
broadened awareness, adoption, and funding of creative aging programs across
the country."
The Council on the Arts is one of 36 state arts agencies
receiving awards from NASAA. With this funding, each state will conduct creative aging
activities tailored to the unique needs of its constituents. Alabama's activities will include bolstering existing creative aging programs, focusing the 2021 Bill Bates Leadership
Institute on creative aging, offering workshops for non-profit arts
organizations to engage in this work, providing professional development for teaching artists, cultivating creative aging partnerships, and more.
For more information about NASAA's Leveraging State
Investments in Creative Aging initiative, visit nasaa-arts.org. For
more information about Alabama State Council on the Arts, visit arts.alabama.gov.
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About Alabama
State Council on the Arts
The Council on the Arts is the official state
agency for the support and development of the arts in Alabama. The Council
works to expand and preserve the state's cultural resources by supporting
nonprofit arts organizations, schools, colleges, units of local government, and
individual artists. Arts programs, assisted by Council grants, have a track
record of enhancing community development, education, cultural tourism, and
overall quality of life in all regions of the state. The Alabama State Council
on the Arts receives an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and
additional funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Press contact:
Perri Hubbard
Communications & Public Relations
334.242.5153
perri.hubbard@arts.alabama.gov