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PORTLAND, Maine

University of New England “Visual Voices” art project illuminates the experiences of aging population

A glimpse into the identity of the aging population through art-- that’s what an interprofessional group of students at the University of New England along with residents of Park Danforth senior living community set out to reveal through an arts-based research project titled, “Visual Voices: An Arts-Based Assessment of the Perceived Identity of Aging Maine Residents.” Visual Voices will be exhibited during the First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 1, at the second-floor art gallery, Mechanics Hall, 519 Congress Street, Portland, Maine.

Visual Voices uses art to explore social and developmental issues such as identity and aging. Six female residents from Park Danforth participated in group discussions and art activities, exploring how they perceive themselves and how they feel perceived by friends, family and their healthcare providers. The goal of this project was two-fold: to share perspectives of aging adults with the community, and to measure the impact of the Visual Voices methodology.

At the helm of Visual Voices are UNE Master of Public Health students Collyn Baeder and Zoe Hull, and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy students Adrian Jung, Michaela Hoffman, Rebecca Masterjohn and Virginia Sedarksi. They were advised by Rebecca Boulos, M.P.H., Ph.D., assistant clinical professor in the School of Community and Population Health, and Regi Robnett, Ph.D., OTR/L, professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy.

Reflecting on the project, Baeder stated, “I was constantly impressed by the level of openness and empathy that the participants displayed with us and each other as we explored these personal topics together.” Hull concurred, adding, “A sense of community formed very early on, creating a space where everyone felt comfortable sharing their perspectives. ”

This project is funded through an innovative interprofessional student-led mini-grant program through the Center for Excellence in Interprofessional Education (CEIPE). These mini-grant funds were contributed by faculty members, the Office of Research and Scholarship, private contributions and an endowment by former trustee Brian Dallaire, Pharm.D., and his wife.  The purpose of the grant is to encourage students from different health professions to learn about, from and with each other to provide better client care and population health.

“Elders are like any population – each person ages in their own way, affected by multiple and diverse factors of life,” says Shelley Cohen Konrad, Ph.D., LCSW, FNAP, director of the CEIPE. “This project brings students from different professions together, not only to foster the creation of art that empowers, but to develop relationships that then help them gain insight into the aging experience. Stereotypes cannot survive in the face of personal relationships developed through artistic expression.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.