What if one of the most powerful elements of aging well is hiding inside the soft hues of a palette of watercolor paints? Perhaps the key to feeling happy and healthy into your 80s, 90s and beyond is hanging on a gallery wall, hiding amidst the notes of a favorite piece of music or resting between the lines of a treasured poem.
Research continues to show the benefits of art and support the idea that engagement with art can play a meaningful role in aging with greater satisfaction and a more positive outlook on life. Whether someone is creating art, collecting it, curating it or simply appreciating it, artistic endeavors have been shown to stimulate the mind, nurture emotional well-being and even strengthen social connection.
In many ways, art keeps us actively participating in life. That “active participation,” as simple as it sounds, may be one of the greatest predictors of healthy aging.
Drawn To Paint
For Jan Holland, a resident of La Posada at Green Valley, the language of art has been part of her life for many years. Working in Washington, D.C., she frequented the National Gallery of Art and the city’s other museums. Spending time with masterpieces provided her with both inspiration and a reprieve from her busy day.
“Many times, I would wander the National Gallery during my lunch break or at the end of the workday,” Jan says. “I got to know the artworks and would simply spend time with my favorite paintings. Honestly, it would calm me. And then? I could go back into the fray.”
But Jan didn’t become a practicing (and professional) artist until she retired.
“I spent time with these magnificent works of art, these beautiful paintings,” she says. “It was inspirational, but I didn’t know I would be creating my own paintings one day.”
After moving to Green Valley, where her sister and brother-in-law lived, she was encouraged to try a few classes at GVR Clay Studio. She enjoyed working with clay and then expanded her practice by pursuing art classes with Green Valley Recreation. Jan met others interested in creating art, including a new friend — himself an artist — who began teaching informal classes for acquaintances and neighbors. “That was the jumping off point for me,” she says.
Making Her Marks
Importantly, “art” doesn’t require professional talent or formal training. Jan’s classes were a great way to learn the basics and encouraged her to set time aside each week to practice creating. But she’s quick to explain to those who see her art and comment, “Oh, I could never paint,” that art is really about “just picking up a pen or a paint brush or a crayon and making marks on the paper.”
“During COVID, I put a notebook on the table and every day would simply make a few marks in that journal with my pencil,” she explains. “Sometimes the marks would turn into a sketch. And if I liked what I was seeing, I might even turn that sketch into a painting. It’s just about having fun and putting something on the paper. The process can be so rewarding.”
Inspired Surroundings
Art, curated or created, admired or collected, can inspire us in myriad ways. La Posada at Green Valley nurtures art-lovers with sculptural works thoughtfully placed across campus, art classes and a clay studio to engage residents and a campus garden where residents tend to their own plots. Additionally, they have dedicated gallery space in common areas where resident artists can display their work. Here, seniors are encouraged to both appreciate and, if they desire, participate in art.
Studies increasingly suggest these experiences matter. Researchers have found that arts engagement may help support cognition, emotional health and overall quality of life in older adults. A 2025 study published in Research on Aging found that observational drawing activities improved mindfulness and demonstrated promise for supporting cognitive health in adults 65 to 87. Participants also reported high levels of enjoyment and accessibility with the artistic practice. Helpful, yes. Fun, absolutely.
For Jan, painting outside (a practice called painting en plein air) is the embodiment of that joy. She regularly packs her portable easel and supplies, meets a friend and together they travel to inspiring spots around town. The sites of a local park, a brightly hued barrio in Tucson, the scenic views of Madera Canyon. “There are so many interesting places to set up an easel and just start painting,” she says.
What Does It All Mean?
Art also creates something equally important as we age: meaning.
Aging well is not simply about avoiding illness. It is about maintaining curiosity, purpose, connection and identity. Artistic expression invites reflection and storytelling. Collections and creative projects often become extensions of memory and personal history. A sculpture collected while traveling, a handmade quilt or a painting of a treasured landscape can reconnect someone to important chapters of life.
Even appreciating art has measurable value. Studies suggest access to intellectually stimulating spaces such as museums, libraries and cultural institutions is linked with stronger cognitive health in older adults. Navigating exhibitions, reading, listening and learning about art allows the brain to process new information. This triggers what scientists call neuroplasticity, essentially helping build a buffer that can help the brain bypass damage caused by aging and disease.
The benefits may even extend beyond brain health, mood and cognition. New research highlighted in 2026 found that regular engagement in arts and cultural activities — including painting, singing and museum attendance — was associated with slower biological aging. Researchers at University College London reported adults who participated in arts activities weekly showed biological aging markers that appeared younger than those who rarely engaged in the arts.
A State of Artful Well-Being
Arizona has become part of this broader conversation as well. To better prepare for and understand the unique health challenges the aging population faces, the school launched The University of Arizona Center on Aging, a collaboration of experts from across the university working together to redefine what it means to thrive while aging.
One of these collaborations has resulted in a program that encourages participants to experience art in everyday life: Creative Encounters in Awe Walking. This series is a wellness practice that involves going on walks of 15 minutes or longer and shifting one’s attention toward things that inspire awe.
Spurred by research showing positive health benefits for older adults who are experiencing awe, the program promotes walking as an accessible and affordable wellness practice across the lifespan by providing students and community members with tools to encounter and share moments of awe. This matters because creativity is deeply human. It reminds us that growth does not stop at a certain age.
In senior living communities across the country and at La Posada right here in Green Valley, art studios, resident galleries, music programs and cultural outings are central to wellness programming … not simply recreational extras. Residents are rediscovering dormant talents, experimenting with new creative outlets and building friendships through shared artistic experiences.
Some create. Some collect. Some curate. Some simply pause to appreciate beauty and, yes, awe.
But all are participating in something powerful: staying engaged with life itself.
La Posada’s Investment In Creative Experiences
La Posada at Green Valley has committed more than $3 million to build a Cultural Arts & Crafts Building on campus for residents to explore their talents. This center will feature a paint/sketch room; a classroom; a pottery/clay studio with kiln; a raku pit with outdoor kiln; and a large gallery that will also be used as meeting space. The community is currently running a capital campaign to support this effort. If you or someone you know is interested in sponsorship opportunities, contact Dawn Martz at 520-648-7910 or dawn@laposadagv.com.
Jan and other resident artists at La Posada are also preparing for Green Valley’s annual Art in the Park event at Desert Meadows Park in October. Working with La Posada leaders, Jan is helping to organize transportation for several campus artists, along with their works, so they can take part in this vibrant art show and sale.
If you’re feeling inspired to learn more about aging well at La Posada, contact us. We’re happy to give you a personal tour of our beautiful campus.