“Creating Art From the Heart” is an immersive, hands-on Cultural Immigrant Initiative connecting Imagination to Cultural Heritage through Creating Art. The program will consist of twelve 2-hour art workshops held at the R.A.I.N. Findlay House Older Adult Center in Council District #16. This free program will focus on introducing 15 to 20 older adults to the Basics of the Creative Process while providing them agency to tell and share their immigrant experiences among themselves, their residents, and with the intergenerational community of BRAC. The memories and stories of each participant will be reconstructed in a series of works that speak about ethnic traditions, family, and cultural identity. The program will focus on creating a portfolio of artworks that speak of each person’s journey from their respective homelands to the US as well as their lives in NYC and in the borough of The Bronx. 

The program will begin on April 5th and run once a week on Fridays from 1:00pm to 3:00pm through to June 21st for a total of twelve workshops, culminating in exhibits of the members’ artwork at both the Findlay Center and as part of BRAC’s Annual Student Spring Show. The first 4 weeks will focus on a basic introduction to general art concepts, techniques and materials for painting with acrylics. An emphasis on connecting to culture, imagination and creativity will be maintained throughout the program. This practice will aid older adult participants in developing and maintaining mental awareness and physical dexterity through their art making. Participants will be introduced to the concepts of color theory in preparation for more free expressions with color and texture during the next 5 weeks. The final weeks of the program will focus on the use of collage and mixed media to produce a self portrait inspired by each individual’s cultural and ethnic identity. 

Harlem-based Curator and Fine Artist Gregory Mills will conduct the workshop sessions. He will introduce participants to his first hand experiences with the development of African American Art in Harlem. Throughout the program Gregory will guide his students through presentations and discussions exploring topics such as: family, migration, childhood, homeland, and Harlem Art history. Greg will host two culminating programs for this series. One at Findlay house for the residents, as well as one at BRAC for the last class to interact with young creatives and share their experiences with a broader audience. An intergenerational showcase, BRAC’s Student Exhibition, held in June at BRAC’s Art Gallery, will further facilitate the inclusion of the older adults at Findlay in the creative voices of the Bronx. During their visit, Findlay guests will see their artwork prominently displayed in BRAC’s gallery, which will remain on display during BRAC’s summer music festival Bronx River Sounds, which will expand the indirect audience for their work from around 80 at Findlay to almost 200 at BRAC.