Art Against Ageism

We are so proud of our partnership with the amazing folks at Mather Institute on their “Story Quilts Art & Exploration” initiative. Their new orange paper on the program showcases how it supports self-expression, reflection, and well-being among older adults. In addition to a description of the pilot program, the paper includes a workshop and facilitator guide, as well as research insights with ready-to-use materials. What you get from this paper: 💡 How to Lead a Story Quilt Program: A step-by-step description of a story quilt program and guidance on how to implement your own program. 💡Story Quilt Program Pilot Study: Learn about the pilot of the Story Quilt program, conducted by Mather and Art Against Ageism. Download it here: https://bit.ly/48krOsJ.

Last week, our co-founders, Meg LaPorte and Jordan Evans, had a great time presenting our "Fixed It" campaign to an Ageism Awareness Day workshop in Maryland. We thought we would resurrect the campaign this week, with some goodies. So, today we are calling out the repeat offender IL MAKIAGE, an "anti-aging" beauty company that thought its ageist ad was cool. Our response: instead of worrying about what your skin looks like, perhaps we should rage against the powerful forces of the anti-aging industrial complex that makes older women feel marginalized for having wrinkles. Tell us in the comments how you would "fix" this ad.

We are honored to have been part of the Maryland Department of Aging’s Ageism Awareness Day event at the Columbia East 50+ center. Thank you to Howard County Office On Aging and Independence and Link Generations for presenting with us!

It’s Ageism Awareness Day, and that means it’s time for our “Should I Care About Ageism?” decision tree! (Whether you’re a human, a zombie, or a cat, the answer is “YES!”) Ageism isn’t just an issue for older people; it affects all of us: 💥 It shapes how we see ourselves, leading to fear, shame, and denial rather than pride and acceptance; 💥 It can adversely affected quality of care in aging services settings; and 💥 It contributes to isolation, depression, and poorer health outcomes—making it a real public health issue. It’s time to care about ageism—and end it. #AgeismAwarenessDay

Continuing our recognition of Ageism Awareness Day this Thursday, Oct. 9, we offer a list of reasons why owning your age can be an impactful act of resistance and self care. While we know that saying or owning one's age out loud is not possible for everyone (most likely due to workplace age bias), for those of you who can take that leap, the impact can be powerful. Here are some reasons why we think owning your age is good for nearly everyone: ⚡⚡ Challenges the notion that age is something to hide 💡 Normalizes aging as a universal experience rather than a decline 💥 Counters Stereotypes and assumptions about age and aging ⚔️ Resists cultural pressure to stay, and look, “forever young” 😃 Reduces shame and fosters pride in our aging journeys 🏗️ Exposes structural bias by making age-based discrimination harder to ignore 🌊 Creates a ripple effect of acceptance and visibility, especially if you are a leader in the aging services field #OwnYourAge #SayYourAge #ILookMyAge

This week is Ageism Awareness Day -- on Oct. 9! In recognition of this event, we will post creative and artistic content that tackles ageism. First up, are some clever and creative ways to tackle ageism and advance positive age beliefs. > Follow some social media accounts that tackle ageism. > Create and support arts initiatives that confront and tackle ageism. > Disrupt the beauty industry's hold on the "anti-aging" algorithm by blocking ads from your feed. > Create and install public art that advance positive (and correct) age beliefs. > Share age-positive stickers and merchandise! #AgeismAwarenessDay #ArtAgainstAgeism www.ArtAgainstAgeism.org

We couldn’t be more excited about this incredible public art installation in Chicago from our friends at Mather! Congratulations on your beautiful and creative endeavor that tackles ageism and advances positive beliefs around aging and being older.

We are so excited to be at the grand opening of PACE of West Baltimore! Congratulations to partners Gilchrist, Keswick, and Catholic Charities of Baltimore for a wonderful endeavor! 🎉