A partnership between the Ottawa Art Gallery and Chartwell Retirement Residences for local seniors

Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is grateful and honoured to announce that Chartwell Retirement Residences has partnered with us as the 2023 presenting sponsor of the OAG’s Senior Membership category, in addition to bringing eight (8) community art workshops to various Chartwell residences across the greater Ottawa area throughout the coming year.

“Through this partnership, OAG is continuing efforts to brighten the lives of seniors by facilitating these connections to their community. Professionally led arts programs can play a significant role in the health and well-being of seniors, and that is why OAG is continuously committed to bringing people together through art.” 

– Alexandra Badzak, Director and Chief Executive Officer 

OAG is and has been at the forefront of the movement towards community-engaged art, with a strong history of wellness-oriented programming rooted in the local community. Art is key to maintaining health and wellness at all ages and stages of life, and active participation in the arts can have a positive impact on the health and well-being of older adults in many ways.

OAG membership and participation in community art workshops like the ones offered through this partnership, provides older adults in the Ottawa region the opportunity to connect with peers, enhance their creative skills, learn something new, and induce psychological and physiological healing through the therapeutic benefits of art.

“This partnership is about more than providing access to the arts for seniors. When we think about retirement living, we don’t always associate it with the benefits of being able to spend time enjoying arts, culture and learning new things. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with OAG members and help more people discover how we are making peoples’ lives better”

– Amanda Richards, Senior Director, Business Development and Community Integration, Chartwell Retirement Residences 

Chartwell Retirement Residences is known for their approach to creative, active lifestyles for their residents, and this partnership is an extension of that. Chartwell offers enriching arts and cultural activities that engage residents and help contribute to good physical, emotional and cognitive health. For Chartwell, making people’s lives better is more than a vision: it’s their purpose. When you walk through the doors of a Chartwell retirement residence, you will experience their genuine passion for serving seniors, and you will notice how even small moments like the opportunity to engage in a creative art workshop can amount to someone’s retirement years becoming happier, healthier and more fulfilling.