LEWISTON — Museum L-A is inviting the public to participate in its first senior arts workshop program.
For the first installment of a three-part workshop series, the museum will host a free poetry workshop, “Seeing with the Heart’s Ear,” lead by guest teaching artist Martin Steingesser, Portland’s first poet laureate, an author, a performance poet and a teacher. He will be guiding the workshop members on their poetry journey over the course of an eight-week session.
This poetry workshop will offer inspiration and opportunity for participants to learn new writing tools to serve their consciousness in expressive ways. The aim is to encourage and nurture stronger, clearer, and more expressive writing and poetry. The museum is looking for 12 willing participants over the age of 50 to join this journey from April 13 to June 1. The workshops will be held at Museum L-A every Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.. After the eight-week session has ended, the poets, their friends and family, and the general public will be invited to attend a poetry reading event Friday June 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. to celebrate the amazing work they have accomplished.
In addition to “Seeing with the Heart’s Ear”, Museum L-A will host two more senior arts programs over the next year through a grant program called “Seeding Vitality Arts in Museum.” This initiative, funded by Aroha Philanthropies, was designed to support the development and expansion of successful creative aging programs. The goal is to inspire and enable older adults to learn, make and share the arts in ways that are novel, complex and socially engaging. This work is driven by teaching artists whose creative process and understanding of older adults bring joy, connection, improved health and well-being, and a renewed sense of purpose to older adults. Museum L-A was chosen as one of only 20 museums throughout the United States to receive this grant, and although this is one of Museum L-A’s first dedicated senior arts programs, they are looking towards being able to continue this practice for many years to come.
To register for the poetry workshop, call Museum L-A at 207-333-3881. For more information about the program, visit www.museumla.org.
PHOTO: Martin Steingesser, Portland’s first poet laureate, will lead a poetry workshop designed for seniors at Museum L-A. (Submitted photo)
