LEBANON, N.H. – Dartmouth Health’s Geriatric Center of Excellence Aging Resource Center celebrated the opening of “Portraits of Joy” on July 28, bringing together health system leaders, community members, and participants featured in the exhibit.
The exhibit, a collaboration between the Aging Resource Center and Dartmouth College’s department of studio art, features portraits of nine community members captured by five Dartmouth students. Each participant selected a meaningful object representing what brings them joy and shared its significance during one-on-one conversations with the student photographers. Those conversations helped shape portraits designed to reflect each person’s unique story.
The project was conceived by Jason Page, a program specialist at the Aging Resource Center, who drew inspiration from previous intergenerational programming he developed.
“The interview process gave the students an opportunity to get to know the older adult participants on a personal level, something that often does not occur during a typical photography session,” said Page. “Those conversations helped guide the artistic direction of each portrait, allowing the students to create photographs that reflected the stories, personalities, and experiences shared during the interviews.”
The Aging Resource Center has increasingly emphasized arts programming and intergenerational engagement as part of its mission to support healthy aging.
“The first principle of an age-friendly health system is understanding what matters most to each older adult. That, in part, is what really sparked this exhibit. Students engaging with older adults about what matters most,” said Ellen Flaherty, vice president of the Dartmouth Health Geriatric Center of Excellence. “We come with such gratitude for the participation of the older adults, the department of studio art, and the students that participated.”
While it was an opportunity for engagement with older adults, the project also served as a learning experience for the Dartmouth students.
“I find these days that students have a fear of leaving their inner circle and approaching someone they might not know,” said Dillon Roberts, photography and digital imaging specialist at Dartmouth. “It also takes a lot of courage for a participant to trust a photographer to interpret a sitting with one photograph. So, we really appreciate it.”
The exhibit will remain on display at the Aging Resource Center, located at 444 Mt. Support Road in Lebanon, N.H., until Sept. 14. Dartmouth Health and Dartmouth College are exploring opportunities to continue and expand the collaboration in the future.