August Seniors Digest Focus: Art as Part of Aging Well

--by Timmie Faghin

Welcome to the August 2004 issue of Seniors Digest, a new source of news and information online. The Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services is very pleased to provide state-of-the-art communication regarding services and programs in our area, as well as a picture of what is happening on the national level.

It's often said that Seattle is an "arts town," and we do indeed have a wealth of visual arts resources available in our community. From the Seattle Art Museum, to our schools and senior centers, to the walls and floors of Sea-Tac airport...visual art is all around us.  In this issue, we also want to call your attention to a beautiful, moving display called the "Heart Gallery," shortly to be exhibited at Seattle Center.
 
Art is not only about looking it is about doing, and creating a work of art can be not only fun, but also meaningful and even therapeutic. "The Art of Creative Expression" looks at the many benefits of hands-on art activities. And take a look at the related set of articles about caring for our brains as we age did you know that when it comes to our minds, "use it or lose it" is really true?

If you'd like to learn more about art in Seattle-King County, or to read further about art therapy and brain care, click on some of this month's "Links You Can Use." And just for fun, print out your copy of this month's Wordfind puzzle.

We hope you will refer to our electronic pages often to obtain advice, to learn of new and exciting services, and to offer us your constructive feedback.  

Read Seniors Digest and tell us what you think.  We are here to help.

"Artwork affords me a relaxing time. Instead of watching TV, I'll carve and think," says Adam John, an Advisory Council member, who has been carving traditional Alaskan masks from cottonwood bark for forty years. Adam is a full-blood Athabascan Indian, born on the banks of the Tanana River in Alaska's interior. His father, who carved masks for a hobby, was the source of his inspiration. Adam shows his work at Pow Wows all along the west coast. Says Adam, "The Pow Wows are an opportunity to highlight the traditional arts of Alaska and to personally give a better definition of what the masks mean."

About the Advisory Council

We are a volunteer citizens' group working to create choices for elders and adults with disabilities in Seattle-King County. We do this by identifying, advising and advocating for programs that promote quality of life for these populations.

(c) Aging & Disability Services, Seattle Human Services Department and The Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging