New partnership between the Maine Arts Commission, Maine Council on Aging, and Lifetime Arts will strengthen Maine’s creative aging workforce and increase access to arts programming for older adults.

AUGUSTA, Maine, July 8, 2026 – 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. 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.”

Julie Kline, Program Director, Lifetime Arts

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.

“This initiative will strengthen Maine’s workforce development in the arts and health sector through a growing statewide network of certified teaching artists equipped to create experiences and classes that foster artistic skill, connection, purpose, inclusion, and lifelong creativity.”

Khristina Kurasz, Program Director, Maine Arts Commission

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.

Two Complementary Trainings, One Statewide Certification

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.

Building a Creative Future for Older Adults in Maine

Creative Aging Maine represents a statewide commitment to ensuring that older adults have greater access to arts experiences that support health, connection, purpose, and lifelong learning.

By combining Lifetime Arts’ nationally recognized expertise with the Maine Council on Aging’s leadership in advancing age-positive communities, Creative Aging Maine equips teaching artists with both the foundational knowledge and the local understanding needed to serve older adults throughout Maine.

Through collaboration among the Maine Arts Commission, Maine Council on Aging, Lifetime Arts, teaching artists, and community partners, the initiative is building a stronger statewide creative aging network that will expand opportunities for older adults in every county while strengthening Maine’s growing arts and health ecosystem.

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