Promoting the Relationship Between Arts and Wellness

Well Arts Institute is a non-profit theater organization that uses storytelling and theatre to help people with chronic illness and traumatic life events.

With guided writing workshops using music, fine arts, dance and professional actors, we bring personal stories to the stage and share them with our community, family and friends, healthcare professionals, hospitals and care facilities in the greater Portland area and beyond.

Our Mission

Explore, develop and practice creativity as a means of wellness.

2009-2010

Voices of Our Elders

The Power of Story Telling The Art of Well-being Emerson House Stories Rita Group Story

Please join Well Arts Institute in this exciting program designed to enhance and honor the lives of our elders



Director Lorraine Bahr is working with elders in our community living in assisted, memory care and senior living facilities. First at Emerson House, and now at Friendly House, Summer Place and Terwilliger Plaza, seniors are having an opportunity to attend facilitated writing courses where they are creating stories of their experiences and working through the entire process with actors from the Portland Theater Community. These writing courses end in a reading and book of their stories given to every writer.

After having readings at each facility, Well Arts will choose stories from all the writers and present an evening of those stories in a full stage production. This will be presented to all the writers, families, to healthcare professionals serving this population, the community, and to elder care facilities throughout the region. Learn valuable lessons from our wise elders and experience the joy and struggles of growing older.
Elder's Workshops

Sponsor Elder's Programs

Meet our writers and actors!

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