Meet the founder
Connect by Canvas started with one question: what happens when you put a paintbrush in every hand at the table, no matter its age?
Gia Clarke
Founder and workshop facilitator
Art doesn't discriminate, and people of all ages can do it. We've noticed that creative outlets both improve emotional wellbeing and help people from different backgrounds connect. Every person has a valuable story to tell.
The statistics prove that we need to utilize this incredible source. Half of people cite stigma and high costs as barriers to art therapy. And intergenerational connections are low: one in three 50 to 80 year olds report feelings of isolation.
Sources: Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2025; National Poll on Healthy Aging, University of Michigan, 2023.
Why I started this
Placeholder: founder's personal story
A few paragraphs in Gia's own words: the first time art helped her through something hard, the grandparent or neighbor who sparked the idea, and the moment the first workshop at the Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center made it feel real.
Get involvedHow a workshop works
A theme
Each session opens with a prompt: a piece of music, a remembered meal, a door that could lead anywhere.
Supplies provided
Watercolor, collage paper, pastels, tissue paper. Everything is free and on the table when you arrive.
Make
Seniors and student volunteers work side by side for about an hour. No experience needed.
Share and talk
We display the work and talk about it. The conversations are the best part.