My mother Ines joined 16 women of color at a recent tour and workshop for adults aged 55 and older at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
The group was named Vagas, or wanderers, to encourage the women to visit the museum in La Jolla — an affluent, predominantly white neighborhood. Speaking in our native Spanish, we discussed artworks using humor and humility as a common thread of connection.
For most, it was their first time visiting the museum. It was the first time my mother felt genuinely welcomed at a place that previously seemed too exclusive. This was a place she belonged.
Growing up in a low-income household in an under-resourced Mexican-American community, I know how critical arts access is in stirring one’s curiosity. Developing programs like the one the Vagas experienced is just the start of a necessary change for MCASD. And while we have offered many bilingual programs and opportunities for older adults in the past, we are now doing more.
Look up any museum’s “About” page, and you will find statements like “welcomes all audiences” and “serves the public.” Many institutions undertake the Sisyphean task of being a space for all. In truth, Sisyphus drops the ball.
I have had the privilege of designing educational programs for over 10 years, and after creating programs primarily for youth, I’ve realized that older adults — especially from communities of color — deserve a greater focus.
Just 25% of the $2 billion U.S. museums spend annually on education goes toward 18+ adult programs. Unlike the smaller age range of K-12 programming, adult programs span multiple generations, yet are generally not focused on a targeted group. This means museums are indiscriminately clustering adult programs as well as underfunding them. As demographics change, this excludes a huge portion of our communities.
Aging worldwide has increased due to longer life expectancy and low fertility rates. By 2030, older adults will outnumber children. According to the Population Reference Bureau, “the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050.” And the number of older adults of color is growing much faster than the older white, non-Hispanic population. Our infrastructures that cater to humanity need to transform to welcome an older, increasingly diverse population.
Museums can lead the way. As my programmatic partner, Dr. Khai Nguyen, clinical services chief of senior medicine at UC San Diego Health, said, “We need not just an overhaul, but a ‘Warhol’ on our thinking around aging.”
“There is a wealth of knowledge and research supporting art and creative aging, we just need to build an accessible path for including older adults and their diversity and rich experiences,” he said.
Research suggests that artistic engagement lowers older adults’ risk of mortality. Participatory art activities are especially effective for increasing quality of life and wellbeing, and reducing feelings of loneliness.
With Nguyen’s partnership, and this evidence before us, it became clear that MCASD’s inclusion, diversity, equity and access efforts would be incomplete without programming for this population. To build that accessible path, we needed to address any ageism and create opportunities for connection and hands-on creation.
Working with Nguyen, we co-designed a program for adults 55 and up that includes anti-ageism training for staff and a hands-on workshop series. Participants begin with a tour that activates minds through inquiry-based observations using MCASD’s collection and special exhibitions. Then, they socialize and bond over tea, coffee and pastries. Afterward, they make art that connects with themes explored during the tour.
We quickly realized that besides reaching folks at the museum, providing offsite experiences for greater access was vital. We began partnering with organizations and living facilities to host workshops throughout San Diego. Going offsite allowed us to meet folks, primarily communities of color, where they are, building trust and breaking down the psychological barriers around our museum’s affluent, majority-white location. We have proudly reached over 200 older adults through onsite and offsite offerings.
Museums have the potential to become truly welcoming for a growing segment of our communities and help them age healthier and happier.
Rosa Tapia, one of the Vagas alongside my mother, summed it up best.
“The museum’s experienced and knowledgeable staff made me feel pleasantly welcome … This exploratory and analytical opportunity inspired me to create in my daily life. I’ve signed up for more sessions!”
These are the kinds of positive connections and learning experiences that cultural institutions can offer our diverse older community — if we choose to make them a priority.
Karla Centeno is director of education and engagement at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.