Art for Life program brings Harn's offerings to the public

February 7, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Harn Museum of Art has launched an innovative outreach program for senior citizens called Art for Life. The program gives Alachua County seniors unable to visit the Harn an opportunity to benefit from the museum’s offerings through educational activities and visuals brought to their location.

“This unique program personally delivers the best of the museum from the university campus into the community, complementing the educational mission of the Harn and the University of Florida’s lifelong learning mandate,” program manager and Harn Director of Education Bonnie Bernau said.

Art for Life, which is funded by a two-year grant from the MetLife Foundation, allowed the Harn to create a set of 12 educational modules based on art from the museum’s permanent collection. Specially trained docents bring the large posters, hands-on objects, music and photographs into retirement residences and group facilities and engage the senior audiences. Visual analysis and discussion of the work and artist provides perspective and insight into the art.

“The diversity of artwork from different cultures, styles and time periods provides lively learning experiences for local elders,” Bernau said. “We are very grateful to the MetLife Foundation, which made it possible for Harn staff and docents to develop a beautiful and, based on our field tests, an exceptionally significant program.”

The goal of the program is to enrich the lives of seniors through arts programming while encouraging the use of art as a catalyst for interaction among senior residents, facilitators and staff.

“We are discovering that the subject matter of art is almost secondary. We are able to stimulate their minds, teach them something new, encourage them to participate by asking interactive questions and, especially, have them voice their opinions and share their memories with us and their fellow residents,” Deborah Crown, a docent at the Harn Museum of Art who has given presentations of the program, said. “We listen to what they have to say. The ‘before and after’ looks on their faces and the changes we see happening in their spirits during this event are memorable and rewarding.”

“The program benefits a population that can use some added stimulation in their day. And there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the people we have presented to respond with good questions, related comments and specific meaningful memories of their past,” Harn docent Roz Slater said.

To learn more about these modules or to request an Art for Life presentation at your facility, call Christa Molinaro at (352) 386-9826, ext. 149, or visit www.harn.ufl.edu.