“Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums” grant awarded to museum

New Albany, MS – The Union County Historical Society & Heritage Museum was awarded a competitive Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums grant. The grants are intended to catalyze the growing national creative aging movement.

The Union County Heritage Museum in New Albany, MS was selected as one of only 20 museums throughout the United States to receive a grant from Aroha Philanthropies through its initiative Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums.

Chosen from a highly competitive field of applicants, the Union County Museum will partner with Aroha Philanthropies in this initiative designed to support the development and expansion of successful creative aging programs.

Vitality Arts programs inspire and enable older adults to learn, make and share the arts in ways that are novel, complex and socially engaging. The 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 in community and residential settings.

“Our museum is thrilled to join Aroha Philanthropies at the forefront of the emerging field of creative aging. Aroha Philanthropies’ generous grant will support our education program which is designed to serve our community and region,” said Jill Smith, Museum Director.

“The Union County Heritage Museum is also delighted to partner in the Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums initiative to not only support our community and to expand the usage of the museum’s collection and to contribute to a growing movement to bring the many benefits of creative aging to communities far and wide,” she said.

The additional grantees receiving funding through this initiative are: Adventure Science Center – Nashville, TN; Albuquerque Museum Foundation – Albuquerque, NM; Anchorage Museum Association – Anchorage, AK; Craft and Folk Art Museum – Los Angeles, CA; Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance – Chicago, Il; Heard Museum – Phoenix, AZ; John Michael Kohler Arts Center – Sheboygan, WI; Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte – San Juan, PR; Museum L-A – Lewiston, ME; Museum of Contemporary Art – Tucson, AZ; Naples Botanical Garden – Naples, FL; National Museum of Mexican Art – Chicago, IL; Neon Museum – Las Vegas, NV; Ohio Historical Society – Columbus, OH; Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts – Camden, NJ; Smithsonian Institution – Washington D.C.; Speed Art Museum – Louisville, KY; The Louisiana Museum Foundation – New Orleans, LA; and The Olana Partnership – Hudson, NY.

About Vitality Arts

Arts education programs – those that inspire and enable older adults to learn, make and share the arts in ways that are novel, complex and socially engaging – are a subset of the broad field of creative aging. They are led by teaching artists whose creative process and understanding of older adults bring connection, improved health and well-being, and a renewed sense of purpose to older adults in community and residential settings. Aroha Philanthropies champions arts programs that keep us vital, joyful and engaged by unleashing the transformative power of creativity in those 55+.

About Aroha Philanthropies

Aroha Philanthropies is devoted to the transformative power of the arts and creativity, inspiring vitality in those over 55, joy in children and youth, and humanity in adults with mental illness. We believe that learning, making, and sharing art enriches everyone throughout their lifetime. More information is available at arohaphilanthropies.org.

For more information about Seeding Vitality Arts MN, please visit: vitalityarts.org.

The Union County Historical Society and Heritage Museum is located at 114 Cleveland Street, New Albany, MS. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 till 4 and on Saturday 10 until 3. For information call 662-538-001 and please visit www.ucheritagemuseum.com.