Creative pursuits should be accessible to older adults of all income levels

The Sun’s recent coverage of Peabody’s Musician-in-Residence program is important recognition of the growing field of creative aging and its rewarding career possibilities for young musicians (“Peabody Institute’s Musician-in-Residence Program aims to bridge the generation gap,” Jan. 5).

As we celebrate it, we also cannot forget the 20,000 older adults living below the poverty line in Baltimore City. Many of these individuals have spent their entire lives overlooked and are just as deserving of experiences of beauty and meaning.

What does it take to invest in creative arts programs for their communities? It takes two things: first, a commitment from musicians and artists to be collaborative and flexible to the needs of the community they are working in. And second, it takes resources (of course).

As executive director of Iris Music Project, I’ve worked with Comprehensive Housing Assistance Inc. to create such programs for low-income older adults in Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

We are grateful for grants like the Thome Aging Well grant, which supports this work, but the need is great and many older adults remain left out. I hope Baltimore’s major cultural institutions, including Peabody, the Baltimore Symphony, Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters, will take the lead on creating more opportunities for the arts to flourish in all of Baltimore’s communities, not just at Roland Park Place.

— Lauren Latessa, Columbia