Local art nonprofit partners with Vibrant West Orange

Deb Cwynar Miller moved to Winter Garden a couple of years ago, hoping to start a new phase of her life in Winter Garden. 

“Finding friends when you move to a new area can be challenging,” she said. 

Thankfully, Miller met a Healthy West Orange employee who introduced her to the Vibrant community. 

After learning about the organization, Miller decided to attend a couple of creative aging classes at Vibrant in partnership with the Winter Garden Art Association and fell in love. 

“Arts are really important to me,” she said. “I’m not an artist, though I’d love to be one, so it’s really neat to be exposed to various techniques of things.” 

She was able to find an environment to practice her art — a safe place with people just like her. 

“We just laugh so much about silly things,” she said. “It’s a feel-good community.” 

Like Miller, many adults 55 and older are trying to find a place to fit in, and often, art can be the activity that brings them together through partnership, creativity and freedom. 

In March, the Winter Garden Art Association received a $5,000 grant from the United Arts of Central Florida to fund the partnership between the association and Vibrant. 

This is part of a bigger initiative the United Arts of Central Florida is funding: bringing non-art organizations together with art organizations to integrate arts into every day lives. 

Elyse Jardino, senior director of community outreach for United Arts of Central Florida, said the Winter Garden Art Association was chosen because of the work it is doing with the aging population. 

“The panelists really enjoyed the fact that they were working with an aging population, that it was addressing social isolation and investing in creativity and social connection leading to a sense of belonging and positive-like emotional and wellbeing-health outcomes,” Jardino explained. “Art is built into how people learn, heal and connect. It’s not an add on.” 

The partnership

Foundation for a Healthier West Orange’s Vibrant Program and the Winter Garden Art Association both are delighted by this partnership. 

Anna Zucker, the art association’s executive director, said this partnership helps people find a sense of belonging. 

“A lot of people 55-plus are feeling lonely and a little depressed,” she said. “Being in a creative environment improves their mental health, reduces stress (and) increases cognitive abilities. It’s also good for mingling, for a feeling of belonging and finding people with similar interests. … It makes me really happy that we can provide this to our community, to help the community thrive.” 

Art classes, or Technique Tuesdays, take place the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 1200 E. Plant St., Winter Garden, where Vibrant members and interested community members can come together to enjoy the arts while making meaningful connections. 

With the $5,000 grant, the art association pays its artists for classes and purchases required materials, while Vibrant provides the space. 

Each class varies by teacher, with new and unique techniques to be taught at every one. 

Allyson Bode, who is an artist and a teacher at the SOBO Art Gallery, has found tremendous success in her classes and in inspiring the Vibrant community to be creative and produce art. 

“I get to see adults learn how to play again,” she said. “That’s the most rewarding part of it all. I’m helping them understand that they don’t need to be seasoned artists to take these classes, that they don’t need to be extremely skilled to do these techniques. They just have to show up and have an open mind.” 

For Miller, Bode has been a blessing. 

Miller said she’s enjoyed every class Bode has taught and leaves each class with a sense of accomplishment. 

“Any program, any amount of gathering together is good for the heart and soul and mind, but when you have quality instructors like this, it’s truly amazing,” she said. 

Perfectionism is a struggle for many, including Miller. Through these art programs, she has learned there is value in “good enough,” and perfection doesn’t exist. 

“There’s just a lot of freedom in the classes to learn and do, and it’s interesting to see people take things away from them, too,” she said. “I learned to value seeing how other people decipher messages. … I find it adds culture to my life and I appreciate that 100%.” 

To Miller, this partnership not only allows her to expand on her love for the arts, but it also allows her to find friends, community and create memories that will last a lifetime. 

Sarah Coggshall, a Vibrant member and program coordinator, said this partnership has truly made a difference in the community she serves.

She said one of the pillars Vibrant wanted to focus on was arts and culture, and through this partnership, they’ve done just that. 

“It’s common after class to see (members) excited about the artwork that they’ve done,” she said. “They’re just really happy and excited about being able to learn different types of techniques and just seem very appreciative that this is something that we’re able to offer to them. It makes my heart happy.”

Trying to stay at a low budget to continue funding as many classes as possible, Bode teaches her students art can be beautiful, even if all you have is a piece of paper and pencil. 

“These people then can go back home and they don’t have to break the bank going and getting their own water colors or papers,” she said. “If they want to take what they learn back home with them, then they’re not as intimidated.”

The future 

The hope is to continue funding these classes to bring the art sector and the health sector together and continue providing maturing adults with socialization, friendships and a whole lot of laughter. 

“We will be looking for ways we can raise more money to keep doing this,” Zucker said. “We see the difference we make in people’s lives, and we really want to continue to make that difference.” 

And the feeling is mutual. 

“I’ve had so many people tell me that these classes are the highlight of their week,” Bode said. “Vibrant members are coming up to and telling me that they’re taking so many more classes than just Technique Tuesdays. They’re essentially planning their weeks around these classes, because they’re coming in every single day, building friendships, getting their bodies healthy, getting their minds healthy.” 

This partnership just makes sense, Coggshall said. 

Even when the funds from the grant run out, it won’t be the end of the partnership. 

“We would definitely look to partnering with Winter Garden Art Association again and apply for another grant so that we can continue this partnership,” Coggshall said. “It’s important.”