Creative Aging Tour and Memory Café programs at Krannert Art Museum explore how art can promote creativity, social interaction, and well-being among older adults—especially those experiencing dementia—and their care partners. This collaborative initiative with Family Service of Champaign County offers seniors guided tours of museum exhibitions and hands-on art activities that stimulate mental engagement and foster community.
Further, the structure of Creative Aging programs fosters a sense of community by encouraging care partners to connect not only with their loved ones experiencing dementia but also with other care partners, who often face their own sense of isolation. Each program features a gallery tour with deeper engagement with select artworks, followed by artmaking and conversation. The goal is to center storytelling, promote memory-sharing, and foster meaningful connections among participants.
Krannert Art Museum’s reach extends beyond its walls through Family Service’s Creativity on Wheels program, recognized with the Illinois Governor’s Engaging Aging Award. In partnering with this award-winning initiative, museum educators developed an art kit that guides artmaking and activities while featuring highlights from the museum collection, such as Frank Stella’s Kozangrodek III and Nnenna Okore’s Aja Nsukka. These creativity boxes, delivered personally to 100 seniors across Champaign County, provided an accessible way for older adults to engage with art from home—reducing isolation and fostering creative expression—especially for those unable to visit the museum in person.
Creative Aging Tour and Memory Café programs, as well as our participation in Creativity on Wheels, aim to encourage cognitive health, social connection, and lifelong learning. These initiatives remind us that art can be a powerful tool in improving the lives of older adults and that creativity remains a vital part of aging well.
If you’re interested in upcoming Creative Aging programs, please contact our Community Engagement and Learning team at kam@illinois.edu.
Author: Rachel Lauren Storm, Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Learning
