The Desert Hot Springs Senior Center will once again be offering its members free weekly art classes that will teach techniques like watercolor painting, printmaking and drawing.
It previously collaborated with the Mizell Senior Center and art instructor Salle Kirby to offer art classes in 2019 but had to stop due to the pandemic. On Tuesday, the city council unanimously approved an agreement with Kirby to resume and expand the art program for a 48-week period, City Clerk Jerryl Soriano said.
A city staff report said art programs are a “proven and essential component of a vibrant senior center.” It listed benefits for seniors that include improving their memory, reducing negative feelings like anxiety and depression, and building social connections.
The city’s agreement with Kirby costs $23,040, which includes art supplies and materials. It was not immediately clear when the program would begin.
Two-hour classes with up to six students will be held once a week. Seniors will only be able to enroll in one four-week session a year to ensure others are able to partake in the program. The senior center will hold quarterly art shows of participants’ work.
Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Desert Hot Springs restarting free senior art program: paint, draw and more
Reporting by Ani Gasparyan, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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