"I very much look forward to the days when I can tell everybody I got art this week,” says Mary, a member of the inaugural Meals on Wheels Senior Artist Cohort.
At 62, she never thought she would be learning how to paint or how to decoupage, especially as a self-described left-brained person. Yet, she is still only 62, and there is plenty of lifelong learning left to explore.
All too often, she says, "people just sit around and that's what they do. I'm trying to get out of that. And as far as art, I don't think it ever hurts to expand the parts of your brain that you don't use very often."
The Senior Artist Cohort is the first of its kind for Meals on Wheels’ Social Connection Programs, created by Health & Wellness Program Coordinator Kara Harper. It is a partnership with the Cincinnati Art Museum (who provides educational support and resources) and ArtWorks (who has hosted monthly studio sessions).
Harper says, “This cohort was designed to empower older adults to view art and storytelling as means of personal wellness and social connection. We wanted to provide an encouraging, creative space that gives them permission to try something new and inspires them to think about their lives and journeys in meaningful ways.”
Once a month, Meals on Wheels provided group transportation and served lunch at studio sessions, where Cincinnati-based teaching artist Annie Ruth provided mindful, thematic lessons through art.
“Many participants revisited formative memories, using art as a pathway to reconnect with identity and personal history,” says Ruth. “For some, this included processing deeply emotional experiences. Moments like these often led to organic community support, as fellow residents offered comfort and presence. These interactions highlighted the role of art not only as a creative outlet, but as a tool for emotional healing and connection.”
All skill levels were encouraged to join the program, emphasizing the value of art-making as a tool for well-being and opportunity for continuous learning. Newcomers and seasoned artists alike participated.
Mike, another member of the Cohort, considers himself one of the newcomers. He grew up in Cincinnati’s Lincoln Heights where, he says, lifelong learning took root. “I wouldn’t trade that upbringing for anything. I was surrounded by great mentors, great people.”
One of the projects Mike has created in studio includes a model replica of a 1957 Chevy Bel-Air, his parents’ first car. Another project includes a model ship, representing his son who is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. The process has reconnected him with some of his most significant memories and favorite hobbies from earlier in his life. Building model cars was a hobby he enjoyed from childhood into adulthood—including a trying period when he became a caregiver to his mother. He put the hobby on the shelf in 2013 and did not engage with it again until the start of the Senior Artist Cohort.
He says, “That hobby really helped me through nine years of deep caregiving, and now here I am doing it again and it feels so great.”
Mike says his experience with the Senior Artist Cohort has spurred the creation of a new artist “society” in the building where he lives. He and his neighbors are organizing a series of guided lessons modeled after the environment Ruth created in the studio sessions.
Says Ruth, “This experience reaffirmed a core belief: Art is a powerful vehicle for breaking down barriers, building bridges and empowering individuals and communities. When access is aligned with place, impact deepens—and sustainability becomes possible.”
You are invited!
The Senior Artist Cohort culminates in an exhibition of works completed by artists during studio sessions. The gallery will be on view for one day only on Friday, May 29, in the Marek Family Commons of the Cincinnati Art Museum. A reception will be held 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.