AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Arts Commission, in partnership with the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) and Lifetime Arts, a national leader in creative aging advocacy, training, and capacity building, is launching Creative Aging Maine, a statewide certification program designed to expand access to meaningful arts experiences for older adults throughout Maine's 16 counties.

 

“Lifetime Arts is proud to partner with Creative Aging Maine, an example of how collaboration among state-level leaders in the arts and aging sectors can build lasting capacity for creative aging," said Julie Kline, Program Director at Lifetime Arts. "This initiative expands and sustains creative opportunities proven to improve older adults’ health, increase social connectedness, and strengthen livable communities. Working in a state with deep roots in creative aging practice and the highest percentage of older adult residents in the nation aligns closely with our mission to weave this work into the fabric of communities.”

 

The Creative Aging Maine certification program is funded in part by a two-year, $77,500 grant from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and E.A. Michelson Philanthropy. The initiative will increase access to high-quality arts programming for older adults while addressing ageism and helping combat the effects of isolation and loneliness through meaningful creative engagement. Creative Aging Maine will provide free professional training opportunities for teaching artists and community partners during 2026 and 2027.

 

“The initiative will strengthen Maine's growing workforce development in the arts and health sector by developing a statewide network of certified teaching artists equipped to create arts experiences that foster connection, purpose, inclusion, and lifelong creativity,” said Program Director Khristina Kurasz.

 

Participants who complete the certification will be eligible to apply for Creative Aging Maine grant opportunities opening in December 2026 and November 2027 to support creative aging programs in communities across the state.

 

Registration is now open for the inaugural Creative Aging Maine certification cohort. To become a Certified Creative Aging Maine Teaching Artist, participants complete two complementary trainings that together provide both a nationally recognized foundation in Creative Aging practice and a Maine-centered understanding of how to serve older adults in communities across the state. The certification pathway begins with Lifetime Arts' Creative Aging Foundations for Teaching Artists, followed by the Maine Council on Aging's Creative Aging Maine Training, which builds upon that foundation through a Maine-specific lens.

 

Teaching artists who have already completed Lifetime Arts' Foundations training do not need to repeat that course, but must complete the Maine Council on Aging training to receive Creative Aging Maine certification.

 

Participants who are new to Creative Aging are encouraged to register for both trainings. Additional training opportunities will be offered in fall 2027 for those unable to participate in the first cohort.

 

For complete information: https://mainearts.maine.gov/Postings/Blogs/Detail/Maine-Launches-Creative-Aging-Maine-Certification-Program