By Kaylen Alvarez
UPTOWN TAMPA – Nestled deep into the small neighborhood of Forest Hills is a quant white house branded with the words: Life Enrichment Center.
The non-profit organization has been catering to the older creatives in their community for nearly 40 years now. Their mission has always been to help retired adults fulfill their lifelong imaginative potential through the ageless engagement of the arts.
“We are not the typical senior center in any sense of the word,” said Kelly Hickman, Associate Director.
The LEC is home to talented individuals who finally have time to enjoy their artistic abilities. During the earlier years of their life, work or family duties became their primary responsibility, with leisurely activities taking the back seat.
The organization hosts many art classes, creative writing classes and wellness courses for adults 50 years of age and older; all at an affordable cost. Other courses that they offer include beginning to intermediate Mah Jongg, which is a complex Chinese tile game, as well as bridge and bead weaving.
The dedicated staff are motivated by their belief that consistent engagement in the arts is beneficial for one’s well-being.
Lack of social relationships among senior citizens can welcome unnecessary health issues, but the family-like dynamic present at the Life Enrichment Center works to battle isolation among older generations.
An emphasis on health and creativity is not all that the organization has to offer though. In fact, Hickman said that it’s the friendships formed in the studio bringing people through the door each day.
“They come here for the comradery and to continue to learn and grow,” Hickman said. “They’ve gotten to know fellow artists and fellow people they can relate to.”
On a Wednesday night you might find that the comradery is at an all time high during art instructor, Tim Gibbons, open art studio session. Regulars arrive around six in the afternoon, and they stay well past eight. Pulling out a seat at a tarp covered table, they begin working on upcoming projects or personal pieces. The room is everything but silent.
“This is a place where you can come in and have fun, creating your art, meeting people of like minds, it’s like a family organization. We’re like a family here,” Gibbons said.
Much of what is produced in the Life Enrichment Center can be found hanging on the studio walls, living at their Blick Art studio, or in their yearly anthology.
The LEC’s building is also rented out on a weekly basis to clubs from the community. They gather in the larger studio and many club members have gone back to attend classes.
Kelly Hickman and Executive Director, Maureen Eanin Murphy, have worked hard to make their monthly event calendaraccessible. Upcoming instructor visits and art shows can sometimes be found in the Tampa Bay Times.
Although the LEC has a prominent online presence, verbal testimonies from visitors bring a lot of traffic to their small location.
It also should not go unsaid, that many of the instructors travel from far because they believe in the impact their dedication makes in the students’ lives.
Whether you’re seeking to regain your inner peace, brush up on your paining skills, or even if you’re hoping to learn a new game, the Life Enrichment Center has a class and community for you.
“Come into a place where people accept you for who you are,” said Gibbons.
