October 1, 2024
Greetings Everyone,
After summer vacations, we are happy to return to making art and bringing people together at the Art for All studio and beyond. The Arts and Crafts Club meets on Tuesdays at Fowler Library, Drawing Jam meets at the Nature Connection on the third Wednesday of the month, and I will be teaching a workshop, Your Brain in Art, at the Council on Aging later this month.
We are in recruitment mode at Art for All for both Board members and volunteers! Our Treasurer recently had twins, another member is adding a job on top of childcare, and the Board Chair and I recently took on caring for our mothers. I am happy to say that I love having my mother with us. She is a delight to be with, but it does require some downshifting from my usual workaholic style. It's a good thing!
The team at Art for All is focusing on our core mission of building community and improving the mental health of vulnerable groups through engagement with art. We are encouraged by a growing body of research demonstrating the healing power of the arts and new initiatives such as Art Pharmacy that allow doctors to prescribe cultural experiences instead of medical interventions. Did you know that the Surgeon General declared loneliness, disconnection, and isolation to be the number one issue affecting physical and mental health in the US? Sometimes, art journaling or dance workshops are more relevant than medication or physical therapy. In that spirit, we will soon launch our annual appeal: Art for Healing, Art for Joy, Art for All.
If you would like to get involved and help AfA as we bring the healing and joyful power of art to the community into 2025 and beyond, consider if any of the following might be of interest to you:
· Website maintenance
· Assisting at Arts and Crafts Club
· Joining the Board
If you would like to know more about any of these and other positions, write to me directly at margot@artforallconcord.org.
We are deeply grateful for your support and involvement.
Yours in art and community!
Margot