Creative Aging

Founded in 1994 on the belief that "medicine cures the body, but art heals the spirit." The Creative Center began as a series of free art workshops for women with cancer.

Nearly 30 years later, with immeasurable recognition in the field of arts in healthcare and the nonprofit sector, The Creative Center is proud to serve people of all genders and all ages 18+. We do this by offering:  

• Hospital Artist-in-Residence Programs within the New York metropolitan area 

• Free online art workshops five days a week  

• Our Training Institute, held annually in the Fall 

• Private consulting to a robust roster of artists and administrators who are eager to implement our time-tested methods. 

In 2011, The Creative Center became a program of the University Settlement and expanded into the growing field of creative aging. We began putting into practice what recent research demonstrated:

in addition to providing opportunities for self-expression, arts activities and experiences have measurable health benefits for older adults at all stages of the aging continuum, enabling them to live better and healthier lives. 

University Settlement forges relationships between neighbors to build stronger communities, partnering with more than 40,000 New Yorkers on the Lower East Side and in Brooklyn every year.

University Settlement’s offerings include arts programs, support for the aging, early childhood and youth development, mental health and wellness, eviction prevention and benefits assistance, adult literacy, and community and recreation centers.

Through these programs, USS works to address many of the inequities caused by social determinants of health that result from historically rooted injustices, such as access to quality healthcare, education, and shelter. The Creative Center is proud to be part of University Settlement, the oldest settlement house in the United States.