In a significant advancement for Ohio’s arts and aging communities, Wilmington’s own Molly Boatman has been announced as one of the 25 distinguished artists to participate in the next phase of the Ohio Arts Council’s (OAC) Creative Aging Ohio initiative.

This initiative, titled “Building Bridges to Sustained Communities,” aims to enrich the lives of older adults in underserved and historically marginalized communities across Ohio through artmaking experiences, according to a news release.

Boatman, a renowned visual artist and a beacon of creativity in Clinton County, brings a unique blend of skills and experiences to the program. A 2017 graduate of the Modern College of Design, Boatman has made a name for herself through a dynamic career that spans a wide array of artistic disciplines, including print, digital, web, illustration, and photography. Her role as the owner of Molly Boatman Dot Com, where she offers a variety of design and marketing services, underscores her commitment to leveraging art for community engagement and improvement.

As a participant in the “Building Bridges to Sustained Communities” initiative, Boatman will undergo an intensive series of training sessions designed by Lifetime Arts, the leading national arts service organization in creative aging programs. This preparation will equip her with the tools to conduct impactful artmaking activities with older adults in program host sites, such as senior centers, libraries, and arts organizations, throughout the latter half of 2024.

The Ohio Arts Council’s executive director, Donna S. Collins, highlighted the importance of selecting teaching artists like Boatman for their ability to deliver impactful programming to historically marginalized communities.

“From urban centers to rural areas, these teaching artists represent a breadth of perspectives and talents that will empower communities throughout Ohio and make for a truly statewide creative aging movement,” Collins said.

Boatman’s inclusion in this initiative is not just a testament to her artistic talent but also her dedication to serving her community and enhancing the quality of life for its residents through the arts. Funding for the training initiative has been generously provided through the States Leading Creative Aging program, a collaboration between the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and E.A. Michelson Philanthropy.

“As Creative Aging Ohio embarks on this new chapter with Boatman and her fellow teaching artists, the promise of enriching Ohio’s cultural landscape and supporting its aging population through the transformative power of the arts has never been brighter,” the release states.

Read more at oac.ohio.gov/home/news-and-events/all-news/ohio-creative-aging-2024