Intergenerational art exhibition celebrates timeless creativity

Artists from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Artist in Residence (SAIR) program will hold an exhibition, Flourish Fest, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 25, at Kenilworth Square East Gallery, 2155 N. Prospect Ave. The exhibit will feature a variety of art, including stories, paintings, mosaics and more created by student artists and the elders of Ovation Chai Point, Eastcastle Place, Luther Manor, St. John’s on the Lake and Interfaith Older Adult Programs.

Created by professor Anne Basting, 2016 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant,” SAIR pairs UWM students with organizations serving older adults. SAIR participants provide intergenerational connections and creative engagement by hosting workshops and events for their new friends and neighbors. Three of this year’s seven student artists resided at their senior-living facilities.

“Flourish Fest is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the creativity that pours out of these intergenerational collaborations,” said Basting, who was recently named one of UWM’s first two Kellner entrepreneurship fellows. “It is a thrill to watch relationships form and minds expand as they learn together – with and from each other.”

For more information, contact: Rebecca Ebsen, (773) 366-0981, Rkebsen@uwm.edu

About UWM

Recognized as one of the nation’s 115 top research universities, UW-Milwaukee provides a world-class education to 26,000 students from 89 countries on a budget of $667 million. Its 14 schools and colleges include Wisconsin’s only schools of architecture, freshwater sciences and public health, and it is a leading educator of nurses and teachers. UW-Milwaukee partners with leading companies to conduct joint research, offer student internships and serve as an economic engine for southeastern Wisconsin. The Princeton Review named UW-Milwaukee a 2017 “Best Midwestern” university based on overall academic excellence and student reviews, as well as a top “Green College.”