COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT WITH OHSU
The yearlong collaborative research project with OHSU is completed. The first clinical trial was at REACH affordable housing, and the second trial was conducted at Mary’s Woods. Now that the clinical trials are completed, TGG will be in a position to provide evidence of the efficacy of our art therapy curriculum. The data is currently being analyzed, and the results are looking very positive. Final results will be published in 2015. This will help us strengthen our art therapy programming and will also help us leverage community support for these programs. Ultimately, its real value will be to help the many seniors in the Portland Metro area who can benefit from the meaningful stimulation that our curriculum provides.
GALLERY IN ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE (ART)
The partnership with Artists Repertory Theatre (ART) has led to TGG’s status there as a resident organization, adding significant benefits for TGG and our artists. ART now houses our gallery and is open to the public during all ART box office and performance hours. TGG is also included in marketing and communication with the ART database.
EAST COAST GALLERY OPENED IN NORTH CAROLINA
TGG programs are being replicated in Asheville, NC through a partnership with the Council on Aging of Buncombe County, NC. Our art therapy program director has trained facilitators there, and we have received grant funding from NC foundations to conduct programming. The addition of art exhibitions in the Asheville area will spread the concept of promoting senior artists and will provide additional revenue for TGG. This pilot project will enable TGG to seek future partners in other regions to further the mission of showcasing senior artists and providing art therapy for at-risk seniors. Use of our licensed curriculum materials will provide additional revenue.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CREATIVE AGING (NCCA)
Our executive director and program director were invited as keynote presenters to the National Conference on Creative Aging (NCCA) which brought together more than 300 leaders from across the country and around the world as it aligned with the 2015 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) and the NCCA Professional Development Institute to explore the Practice, Research, and Business of Creative Aging. We were officially invited to present with the leadership exchange team that led The Research of Creative Aging: Placemaking and Community session, which integrated our expertise and practice in a collaborative exchange with colleagues in the field. The Research of Creative Aging: Placemaking and Community session address both content and issues vital to the field along with key inquiries identified during the 2014 NCCA Leadership Exchange and Conference. The session, held in May 2015 will be documented with acknowledgement of our contribution as a leader in the field and may be used in resulting publications.
