History: Fighting elder isolation since 1991, AWE has brought community to 12,500 older adults in 84 senior centers across every Bay Area county through free/low-cost fine arts classes. A dozen exhibits a year, seen by as many as 100,000 people, engage elder artists and audiences through the power of creativity, deepening connection between cultures and generations. AWE programs provide older adults from all walks of life with a vehicle for self-expression, social connection, and a presence in the community.

Our Programs
Generative Classes – Currently, each week, Art With Elders reaches 450 older adults in 39 long-term care facilities and day programs across 7 Bay Area counties via 47 in-person and online classes. Each fine arts class gathers 10 to 12 seniors and is led by a paid professional artist. AWE conducts classes in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Russian to accommodate our large immigrant, ESL community.

For trained, experienced artists, AWE workshops provide access to free work space and materials, and mentorship. For those with little visual art experience, classes provide a life-long learning opportunity and assist artistic development. Those with severe disabilities receive physical and cognitive benefits as well as the opportunity to create in adaptive ways, and every student gains a key opportunity for social interaction and connection.

For in-person classes, Artist Instructors bring all materials to class, replenishing the stock as needed. For Zoom, AWE staff sends materials via mail and via home drop offs.

Exhibitions – Each year, AWE produces a dozen exhibitions featuring 400-1000 elder artworks for up to 100,000+ viewers. Exhibitions are hosted by major Bay Area venues such as the De Young Museum, San Francisco City Hall, the San Francisco War Memorial, the UC San Francisco, and San Francisco International Airport.