As adults age and enter their retirement years, there’s a lot of focus on staying busy to keep one’s mind sharp. Being an active older adult, be it going for dance classes or taking a morning walk, has been linked to decreasing the risk of depression and social isolation while increasing cognitive health. There is an ongoing research project by the National Endowment for the Arts which suggests that attending cultural events, such as museum exhibitions and art galleries, improves mental and physical health. Exercising our creative minds can enhance the quality of life and nurture overall well-being.
Rainbow City, Alabama, is home to a growing arts and cultural community. As such, there are art galleries that are open to the public which feature contemporary art and traditional fine art, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and other types of visual art. If you are looking to admire beautiful art in your free time, these are some art galleries for seniors in Rainbow City that you should know about.
Gadsden Museum of Art
Gadsden Museum of Art is home to five art galleries and one historical exhibit. The artworks on display at the museum is a revolving door of all sorts of art, traditional or contemporary. This includes paintings, drawings, installations, design, sculpture and many more. It has established itself as a vital part of the cultural mosaic of Alabama. It collects, codifies, and disseminates historical information about the area’s past and serves as a resources center for arts and history enthusiasts.
Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center
Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center is a visual and performing arts complex that offers live performances. Located in Gadsden State Community College, it hosts a wide range of exhibits such as the theater productions of the college, the Evita Broadway tour, ballet numbers by the Moscow Ballet, and the soulful singing of the Vienna Boys Choir, to list a few. In addition, the Mezzanine Gallery within the arts center is a gathering ground for the local community and the arts community at large. The gallery presents significant works, through exhibitions and programming, by all sorts of artists from local, national, and international locales.
Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts
Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts boasts three galleries that feature a selection of changing local and national exhibits. The gallery also hosts performances by the Etowah Youth Orchestra which consists of 300 young and talented musicians, as well as the Downtown Dance Conservatory featuring 500 students trained in classical ballet and contemporary dance. Its peculiar triangular and enormous cylinder building has come to represent the endless entertainment and educational opportunities the arts can bring to a community.
The Walnut Gallery
The Walnut Gallery is a contemporary art gallery and an academy for fine arts. The gallery seeks to be a cultural example for Alabama through a variety of public events and exhibits that are free and available to the community. Previous events include art exhibitions, public lectures, poetry readings, independent film screenings, concerts, community wide art walks, and educational classes for seniors.
