New library drawing series lets older adults enhance their creative side
By Cameron Montemayor
The St. Joseph Public Library is giving adults the chance to open their eyes to the world of drawing with a new multi-week series starting in September.
Starting Sept. 10, the East Hills Library will kick off the “Creative Aging Drawing Class Series,” a free eight-week pilot program created to help adults 55 and older learn and improve their drawing skills.
“Everyone is creative and everyone has an artist’s eye. It’s just tapping into that,” said Elizabeth Murray, programming librarian with East Hills Library. “We love offering programs for free. It makes it accessible to everybody.”
Professional artist Annie Corrington, owner of Art Attack Studio in Downtown St. Joseph, will help participants of all skill levels strengthen their talents and explore a variety of media over the duration of the course. Drawing materials will be provided.
“She’s going to start with very basic drawing skills and progress each week. It will be sequential and it will build on the skills from the week before,” Murray said. “It’s going to be using pencil, pen, pastels, Conté crayons, charcoals, all sorts of media.”
At the conclusion of the course, participants will see their work put on display as part of a final gallery exhibit and celebration.
“I’m really excited. I like art myself and I’m creative myself,” she said. “In the older years, I feel like some people think, ‘Well, I’ve never drawn before, so why would I? I couldn’t be good at that.’ But you can be good at that.”
If the pilot program proves to be a success, the library will look to make it a consistent event for the community. Murray is already laying the groundwork for another course in the spring to give more people the opportunity to participate.
Those interested in participating in the course have until Sept. 9 to register. Classes begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10 and will continue each Tuesday after that. The course has 15 spots available in total.
Online registration can be found at sjpl.librarymarket.com/event/drawing-observationally or by calling the East Hills Library at (816) 236-2136.
“A lot of work has gone into this and I’d love to see the class filled up with all 15 people right here,” Murray said.
The program was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant. Advancing Creative Aging Through State Library Leadership Initiative is a joint initiative of Califa Group, a library nonprofit, the Wyoming State Library, Missouri State Library and Lifetime Arts.
