Live Vibrantly - September 28, 2024

Chipping Away at Ageism with a Camera

By Lindsay Hutter

In a world seemingly infatuated with youth, older adults can sometimes become invisible. Even though older adults comprise a growing percentage of the U.S. population, they are not seen as such. One reason is that media and advertising disproportionally feature younger people. Another is that many older adults have mobility changes and are not able to move about in their communities with ease.

This reality creates a sense of ageism that defies the data. According to the Population Research Bureau, “The number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050 (a 47% increase), and the 65-and-older age group’s share of the total population is projected to rise from 17% to 23%.”

In short, the U.S population is older today than it has ever been and this trend will continue for the foreseeable future as older adults make up a larger and larger percentage of our population.

The problem of ageism – a bias against people due to their age – means that the collective “we” of society often miss the benefits that older adults and their lives can bring to us.

Enter the AARP Community Grant Program and the Art Against Ageism and Forest Hills of DC partnership.

The AARP Community Challenge is a grant program to make tangible improvements in communities that jump-start long-term change. It is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages.

This summer, Art Against Ageism and Forest Hills of DC (FHDC) were awarded a 2024 AARP Community Challenge grant for their collaborative grant proposal titled “See Me, Hear Me: The Art of Living”. On September 28, 2024, the proposal became reality and was unveiled to the National Capital Region. The mural, created in partnership with Marvin Bower Photography, spans almost a city-block and was part of the Tenleytown Main Street and DC Art All Night celebrations.

Art Against Ageism and FHDC created a concept for a public art installation featuring FHDC residents and team members. The purpose of the art installation is to bring to light the often-invisible communities where older adults live and people of multiple generations work.

Central to “See Me, Hear Me: The Art of Living” is the installation of large-scale, biodegradable murals featuring FHDC residents and team members. The murals, which are now in place across the FHDC campus in Northwest Washington, D.C., have a unique environmental component; they are wheat-pasted onto the exterior walls of FHDC that face Connecticut Avenue and will over time biodegrade naturally without harm to the environment.

Leading up to the installation, D.C.-based photographer Marvin Bowser photographed residents and team members for the murals. In addition, the photos are on a publicly available landing page on the FHDC website, accompanied by stories of some of the residents and team members.

FHDC, the longest standing senior living community in D.C., is an inclusive and not-for-profit provider of assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services. FHDC is one of just three D.C.-based organizations selected from more than 3,300 applications nationwide for the AARP public art initiative.

“We are incredibly grateful that AARP selected Forest Hills of DC for this unique community engagement initiative,” shared FHDC CEO Tina Sandri. “AARP is a nationwide leader in making communities more livable and we are honored that they see the tangible value this project will bring to older adults, those who care for them and the upper Northwest area of D.C.”

In partnership with Art Against Ageism, the installation took place in conjunction with Tenleytown Main Street on September 28, 2024, as part of DC Art All Night, a city-wide art festival.

“Since becoming the management agent for FHDC in May, Goodwin Living has learned of the rich life stories of FHDC residents and team members and we are very grateful for this AARP grant which brings their stories within the reach of more people,” said Rob Liebreich, Goodwin Living President & CEO. “Marvin Browser’s photography and murals are beautiful tools to chip away at ageism in our society.”

The collaboration between Art Against Ageism, Forest Hills of DC, and AARP exemplifies the powerful role that art can play in reshaping societal perceptions of older adults. As the murals of “See Me, Hear Me: The Art of Living” gradually fade into the environment, their message will remain—reminding us that older adults are not invisible and encouraging us all to see, hear and appreciate the richness that older adults bring to our world.

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Lindsay Hutter is the daughter of a mother and father who survived the Great Depression, World War II and the loss of family and friends. Throughout their lives, they unfailingly chose to construct rather than destruct and to leave people and places better than they found them. Lindsay strives to follow in her parents’ footsteps. Since 2017, she has served as Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer for Goodwin Living.