Calling all artists!
It's that time again: the annual Mystic Valley Elder Services senior art show!
But this year, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our art show, we're throwing a month-long celebration of seniors and the arts! Throughout September and October, we'll be honoring ART+experience with receptions, our art exhibition, and FREE art and writing workshops for elders living in Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, and Wakefield. Yes, we said FREE.
But first, the art show: we welcome submissions from artists 60 years and over living in our service area. Submissions must be framed and dropped off at Mystic Valley Elder Services headquarters (300 Commercial Street, #19 in Malden) on September 6 or 7 between 9am and 4pm. All artists must bring a completed registration form [legal-sized PDF]. Complete guidelines are on the registration form, or can be found at www.mves.org/art.php.
An artists' reception and ribbon ceremony will take place on September 14, from 1pm to 3pm. All artists, friends, family, neighbors, and art enthusiasts are welcome to join us! The art will be displayed in our offices from September 15 to October 14, and you may view the exhibit any weekday between 9am and 4pm (except Columbus Day).
What's more, we'll be hosting our FREE art and writing workshops on weekdays between September 15 and October 12. We're still building our schedule, but so far we can promise a fiction-writing workshop, a memoir-writing workshop, plus classes in watercolor, photography, and calligraphy! Most classes will be limited to 12 participants, but we will have a waiting list. Class registration begins Monday, September 5 (don't worry -- we'll remind you). You can find a class schedule at www.mves.org/art.php, but remember that we'll keep updating that schedule throughout August.
Lastly, we'll be tying things up with a closing reception and reading on October 12 from 5:30 to 8pm. We welcome you to join us for a little wine and a little literature as seniors read work created during ART+experience writing workshops.
Whether you're a professional artist, just starting out, or thinking about giving it a try for the very first time, ART+experience has something for you. Please join Mystic Valley Elder Services as we celebrate and honor seniors, art, and community!
If you have additional questions or if you're interested in volunteering to teach a class during ART+experience, please contact Erin Kate Ryan at eryan@mves.org or 781-324-7705, ext. 133. (Note that we're also seeking an experienced senior photographer to serve as offical photographer of our artists' reception.)
New transportation program gets rolling in North Reading
Mystic Valley Elder Services is collaborating with the North Reading Council on Aging to unveil a new program to help elders get where they need to go, even if they can no longer drive.
TRIP Metro North gives North Reading seniors and adults with disabilities the tools they need to find volunteers to drive them to important appointments such as doctors' visits, as well as social activities, such as lunch with friends at local restaurants.
Through TRIP Metro North, volunteer drivers work together with seniors and adults with disabilities to keep track of the volunteers' mileage. At the end of each month, TRIP Metro North reimburses the volunteer drivers for the number of miles they have driven.
"Transportation to shopping and important medical appointments is a critical need for seniors and adults with disabilities in North Reading who cannot drive themselves," says TRIP program specialist Annie Kirsch. "Mystic Valley Elder Services specifically developed TRIP Metro North to help meet this demand."
"Also important is the social aspect of the TRIP Metro North program," says Mary Prenney, director of Elder Affairs at the North Reading Council on Aging. "With TRIP, people feel empowered to arrange where they need to go, from the stores to a granddaughter's birthday party, any time, any day, in the comfort of traveling with a friend or neighbor."
TRIP Metro North is not intended to replace existing transportation services offered by the Council on Aging and Christian Community Services, adds Kirsch. "Our goal is to supplement these resources by enabling people to travel places beyond the scope of these programs."
Right now, TRIP Metro North is available only to elders living in North Reading who don't drive and have no other transportation. Kirsch says that the program will expand to Stoneham in the coming months. For more information about qualifying for TRIP Metro North, call 781-324-7705.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Tufts University is pleased to provide any "third ager" the opportunity to return to the classroom with on-campus study groups and on-line E-learning courses. Course offerings focusing on subjects as varied as modern art, the world economy and memoir writing, ensure a wealth of options for your intellectual inquiry. There are no examinations, course credits, or degrees awarded.
Participants apply for membership, register for study groups, and volunteer on committees. Study groups depend on the dedication and commitment of members who wish to become a study group leader. Fall study group offerings include "Telling our own stories," "From Monet to Today," "Introduction to Mandarin Chinese," and "Andiamo Al'Opera," among many, many more. Visit the Osher LLI workshop for more information!
