As a teenager living in New York, Heather Wicks and her best friend often wandered the Met in hopes of getting lost and stumbling upon unusual exhibits. The pieces they discovered along the way — from paintings and costumes to ancient musical instruments — ignited a lifelong love of art in Wicks.
Later, she moved to Ohio to attend the College of Wooster, where she graduated with an art degree before working as an art teacher. After several years, Wicks married and left her profession to raise a family and become a pastor.
Through it all, she occasionally dabbled in figurative painting, focusing on the realistic portrayal of objects and figures. But she didn’t take the time to refocus her creative side until retirement. By then, Wicks was 80 years old and legally blind, having been diagnosed with macular degeneration, an eye disease that blurs central vision.
When her husband initially saw an email advertisement for the Creative Aging Institute, he dismissed the program. But his curiosity got the best of him, and he signed himself and Wicks up for a May session.
It far exceeded his expectations.
“It’s been a joy,” Rolf Wicks said. Heather Wicks echoed her husband’s sentiment, her cloudy green eyes sparkling behind thick glasses.
“Since we started the program, I haven’t been in a bad mood,” she grinned.
“I’m still learning how to do stuff. I lost my central vision, which is exactly what an artist uses. So I’m still figuring out how to do things that satisfy my artistic critic … and the program keeps me working.”
The Wicks are two of nearly 30 local seniors that participate in weekly sessions with the Creative Aging Institute. The workshop series, conducted by the Akron Art Museum, began in 2023 as part of a nationwide grant from E.A. Michelson Philanthropy.
Participants of the Creative Aging classes explore different forms of art each session, from printmaking and block carving to shibori dying and aluminum-statue casting. Along the way, they receive lessons from local artists and practice techniques until mastery.
On a recent Thursday, paint streaks and dried watercolors covered the tables at the institute. Each well-worn surface was stocked with glass panels and oil pastels. Class participants — local seniors aged 55 or older — eagerly waited to use the materials in printmaking.
At a table in the center of the room, Heather Wicks sat beside her husband. His clean-cut, reserved nature was a sharp contrast to her free-flowing conversation and spry white bob. Heather Wicks had already painted her glass canvas with a bright array of geometric shapes. As the program began, she gently traced her fingers along the panel’s smooth edges.
Heather Wicks said the program has inspired her to continue pursuing her love for art despite vision challenges. After just two sessions with the institute, she dug out her art pens at home.
She had previously abandoned hope of using them again.
“I’ve always been a figural artist, but I can’t do that anymore. At least not in a way that satisfies me,” she said. “But last night, I did a picture with a design, because I couldn’t resist.”
And though Rolf Wicks accompanied his wife to the first session just to keep busy, he has joined a long list of participants surprising themselves with their creative potential. His block carving, with its intricately carved pattern of leaves, appears professionally made.
“I felt like a beginner until I made this block, which I got some praise for,” he admitted. “Now I feel like I’m an artist.”
Merry Petroski, the program manager, explained that the vision of the institute is to “shine a light on ageism, support [age] 55-and-over folks in creating quality, creative endeavors and to bring about connections.”
At the culmination of every session, class participants collect and display works in a public art show.
Each meeting of the Creative Aging Institute serves as more than a series of classes. It offers a chance for seniors to find support, pick up a passion and continue honing their creative skills — whether new, old or simply shifting.
Details on future workshops will be released soon, as the museum remains dedicated to continue serving the 55+ demographic.