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Wilmington, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Older adults in Wilmington's District 8 faced isolation and limited access to cultural experiences after the pandemic. To address this, the museum installed six large-scale murals across the neighborhood, including two at nearby living centers, featuring Jazz Age illustrations and quotes. These vibrant works transformed building facades into accessible art spaces, encouraging residents to step outside and engage with their community. The project sparked plans for annual installations to sustain revitalization. As one councilmember said, "The Delaware Art Museum team has done it again... Wilmington has yet another nationally, if not internationally, known exhibit right here in our backyard."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Souris, ND
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Souris faced vacant spaces and fading identity after its school and church closed, leaving older residents without gathering places. Strengthen ND collected stories and photos from elders and installed a mural on the historic bank building, featuring the former school mascot. A seating area and planned memorabilia displays created spaces for reflection and connection. The mural sparked pride and inspired similar efforts in neighboring towns. One resident said, "This mural reminds me of what Souris used to be. It's more than just art; it's a piece of our history brought back to life."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Jacksonville, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project will install lit gateway markers throughout the Cathedral Hill neighborhood to enhance safety and wayfinding. The markers will also support gathering spaces within the community.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Meals on Wheels Central Texas addressed gaps in disaster preparedness that left many older adults unsure how to respond to emergencies, even as nearby flooding underscored the risks. The project hosted preparedness events at congregate sites, pairing simple first aid and disaster pre-planning with familiar activities such as trivia and bingo to keep learning approachable. Participants received checklists in English and Spanish and assembled home safety kits with essentials like flashlights, batteries and thermal items. One participant said the sessions helped her focus on practical steps after flooding affected her family, noting that thinking through small details made a difference. Attendance increased and requests for more learning followed, prompting the organization to embed preparedness education into regular gatherings so skills continue beyond one-time events.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin's Healthy Streets program closed streets to vehicle traffic in several residential neighborhoods. This enabled neighbors to go for walks and ride bikes without needing to dodge traffic. To help residents become advocates for slow streets, project organizers held online meetings with neighbor groups to teach them effective ways to share their opinions with City leadership. Local artists also created street murals to decorate the low-traffic spaces. This ultimately helped keep Healthy Streets alive -- the Transportation Department announced it would wind down the program due concerns about cost and staff capacity. But community advocates documented the benefits of the street closures and urged the city council to keep the project. In 2021, the council voted in to make the program permanent. Project organizers also created a report with best practices to help other communities replicate open streets projects.
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