The Peru Gazette

(PLATTSBURGH, NY – October 22, 2026) Strand Center for the Arts is thrilled to be partnering with the Clinton County Office for the Aging in a series of pop-up visual art workshops. These workshops are free to participants and feature mediums such as collage, ceramics, and watercolor.

Creative Aging Pop-Ups are an ongoing collaboration between the Clinton County Office for the Aging and the Strand Center for the Arts. These art workshops are designed to give participants a positive learning environment as well as the chance to create meaningful connections with their fellow students and teaching artists. These experiences will be held at the Strand Center for the Arts and will utilize the various resources available within the studio spaces.

The Strand Center for the Arts and the Clinton County Office for the Aging hosted their first workshop this past September which had participants create a series of collages using their family photos. Strand staff digitized and reproduced these photos using equipment such as the Epson Perfection V850 Pro Scanner and Epson SureColor P900 17″ Photo Printer, so that no harm would come to the participants’ original photos. Utilizing these keepsakes allowed participants to engage in visual storytelling based on their own lived experience, and provided a space for them to foster authentic connection through creating art.

“Clinton County Office for the Aging is excited about this new partnership with the Strand Center for the Arts. Participants had a wonderful experience with the first workshop and created some fantastic artwork. It is important for older adults to get involved in the community and we are committed to bringing programming that fosters creativity and social connections. ” said Darleen Collins, Director of the Clinton County Office for the Aging. “I am overjoyed that the Clinton County Office for the Aging is committed to teaming up with the Strand Center for the Arts for these workshops. Having the ability to engage with such a wide variety of populations is a privilege that a lot of us staff who are also teaching artists are grateful for. I think collaboration reminds us why we are here. Art truly is for everyone, and as long as us staff are here we will do our best to ensure that core value is fulfilled. ” said Sommerleigh

D’Elia, Community Engagement Manager and Teaching Artist.

“I am excited to be participating in this partnership with the Clinton County Office for the Aging. It is incredibly rewarding to be able to enrich our community with the creative resources that we offer at the Strand. We are excited to continue meeting new people and providing a platform for people to share their stories. ” said Elsa Koop-Angelicola, Gallery Manager & Associate Curator, Teaching Artist.