With support from the California Arts Council, the Timken Museum of Art (“Timken”) will continue to provide a comprehensive art expression program for veterans receiving treatment for substance addiction at the VA La Jolla. The program includes art instruction and exhibition opportunities. It consists of 90-minute art classes taught by the Timken Teaching Artist, quarterly tours of the Timken galleries, and biweekly art workshops led by a successful veteran artist. This program increases participants’ comprehension of and connection to the role of art in the world, and pre- and post-evaluations indicate that participants typically experience a reduction in pain and anxiety.
The following describes our core programs, all provided free of charge:
Exhibitions and lecture series: 3 exhibitions annually that focus on a specific painting in our collection, positioning it in the larger context of works by a master or artistic movement. Each exhibition has a series of morning, afternoon and evening lectures, and daily docent-led tours.
School programs: school tours; teacher workshops for educators to learn how art can connect to their teaching; Outreach Español (Spanish docent-guided tours for Spanish-speaking students); Creative Choices (artist-in-residency program for at-risk students in Juvenile Hall).
Programs for adults, families and visitors with special needs include: tours by trained docents in 8 languages; Family Mural Making Project; Memories at the Museum (docent tours in partnership with USCD’s Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Center); and Creative Engagement (comprehensive art program for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder).

