The Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA7) has extended the deadline of its annual Art, Essay and Poetry Showcase for those who wish to participate to April 25. The virtual showcase will be featured on the agency’s website throughout the month of May, which is observed across the country as Older Americans Month.

Historically, the AAA7 hosts an in-person art show during May and June. The last two years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the show has been moved to a virtual platform to support the health and safety of participants and those from the community who attend the event. This year, the event will continue virtually to offer an opportunity for seniors to showcase their artwork or written pieces (poems or essays). There will be no judging and it will be just for fun and sharing on the AAA7’s website for participants age 55 or over.

To participate, interested individuals should email a picture of their artwork or written piece to [email protected] by Monday, April 25. Those who are interested should include their name, age, name of submitted work, type of submitted work, and county of residence. Since the showcase will not be held in person, there are no size requirements for the art pieces, but written pieces should be no more than 1,000 words. For artwork, there is a limit of three entries per person and for written pieces, a limit of one poem and/or one essay per person.

By sending in their items, participants will be giving the AAA7 permission to share their artwork or written piece on the AAA7’s website for anyone to see who visits www.aaa7.org. If an individuals does not have access to email or a scanner, a hard copy of the written piece or a picture of the artwork can be mailed to: Area Agency on Aging District 7; Attn: Jenni Lewis; P.O. Box 154, Rio Grande, Ohio, 45674. If mailing in a submission, include your phone number and a statement that you approve of the AAA7 sharing your work on their website for the virtual Art Show.

If you have any questions surrounding the AAA7’s art show, do not hesitate to contact the AAA7 at 1-800-582-7277, or email [email protected]

Submitted by Jenni Lewis, director of community outreach and training, Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc.