Overview

The purpose of Above Ground is to understand how artists—who often reach artistic maturity and increased artistic satisfaction as they age—are supported and integrated within their communities and how their network structures change over time. Past evidence shows that as people age, they often become more isolated from each other, making it difficult for organizations to serve them both individually and as a group. While artists have a long history of self-sustaining mechanisms sometimes outside the mainstream system, the aging process poses particular challenges that artists themselves may no longer be able to meet. At a time when many artists are maturing in their art, such needs range from adequate healthcare and retirement savings to realizing the outcome of one’s career expectations and finding a community of colleagues and a stimulating environment where creative work can be nurtured. This study by the Research Center for Arts and Culture (RCAC) at Columbia University’s Teachers College, provides the first needs assessment of aging artists in the New York Metro Area.