The Creative Center

The Creative Center Dedicated to bringing the creative arts to people living with cancer, chronic illness, caregivers and older adults.

This June, The Creative Center will travel to Athens, Greece to participate in SNF NOSTOS 2026! 🌍 ✨ ⚡ Hosted by the Sta...
04/21/2026

This June, The Creative Center will travel to Athens, Greece to participate in SNF NOSTOS 2026! 🌍 ✨ ⚡

Hosted by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), this weeklong, multidimensional festival is a leading global forum that unites intellectual discourse with a vibrant public celebration of the arts. It is also a celebration of The Creative Center's pivotal partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), whose visionary support has been instrumental in the growth and sustainability of our Hospital Artist-in-Residence program.

Our very own Sheila Fontanive, Liz Rubel, and Artist-in-Residence Cibele Vieira, will lead the transformative workshop: Reimagined Threads: Crafting Abayomi Dolls from Upcycled Textiles, where festival participants will create dolls together while exploring creativity as a pathway to well-being.

This invitation to the global stage is a testament to the strength of our community and to the depth of SNF’s belief in our work. As we travel to Athens, we carry with us the creative force of our wonderful participants and the gratitude of a program empowered by a partner who truly sees the value of creative expression.

Stay tuned for more updates from Athens as The Creative Center shares its approach with the world!

Fall 2026 Open Call for Teaching Artists!Help us reimagine our community workshops. We want your most innovative, access...
04/06/2026

Fall 2026 Open Call for Teaching Artists!

Help us reimagine our community workshops. We want your most innovative, accessible, and inclusive workshop designs for our vibrant community at The Creative Center at University Settlement.

Apply here: https://bit.ly/4dt6mo9

A wonderful opportunity to present a new standard for dementia-care communities!At the 1st Annual CaringKind () Dementia...
03/31/2026

A wonderful opportunity to present a new standard for dementia-care communities!

At the 1st Annual CaringKind () Dementia Education Conference, Sheila Fontanive, LCAT, ATR-BC, Director of The Creative Center, highlighted the clinical efficacy of multidisciplinary, evidence-based arts programming within the dementia care continuum.

Participating in the panel, "Creating Connection: Models for Dementia-Attuned Community Programming," the session demonstrated how systemic strategies like The Memory Café, Dementia Friends NY and Memory Matters translate into person-centered interventions.

The Creative Center remains committed to advocating for specialized, creative arts programming as a central standard of care in aging, wellness, and community health spaces.

Something powerful happens when we move out of our heads and into our hands.This week, The Creative Center at University...
03/27/2026

Something powerful happens when we move out of our heads and into our hands.

This week, The Creative Center at University Settlement had the privilege to participate in NYU's Revitalize Wellness Summit for Healthcare Professionals and be part of the important conversation on redefining wellbeing and person-centered care in clinical spaces and the broader community.

In our workshop, "Reimagined Threads: Crafting Abayomi Dolls from Up-cycled Textiles," Director Sheila Fontanive and Artist-in-Residence Cibele Vieira demonstrated how creative practice fosters resilience and self-regulation. Participants explored how these tactile figures serve as powerful symbols of agency and interpersonal connection in a clinical setting.

Sincere thanks to NYU's Department of Integrative Health team for inviting us to this transformative event. By prioritizing human-centered care and the arts, we build a more resilient healthcare environment for everyone!

We just wrapped our 24th Annual Training Institute!At a time when connection feels both increasingly important and incre...
03/10/2026

We just wrapped our 24th Annual Training Institute!

At a time when connection feels both increasingly important and increasingly fragile, our 24th Annual Training Institute proved that the arts are the most powerful tool we have to foster well-being and strengthen communities.

We set out to center this year on the thoughtful integration of creative practice into health care and aging settings. Looking back at the past few days, we can confidently say that we achieved that mission.

Some great moments:
1. Watching our trainees gain the confidence to launch trauma-informed programs in their own spaces.
2. Learning from the brilliant Sloka Iyengar, PhD, on adapting Bharatanatyam for arts in health environments.
3. The organic community built over studio visits, group art-making, shared lunches and deep discussions.

To our attendees and presenters: You are the center of this mission. Let’s keep this energy going!

Join us for the opening reception of Voices in Wax - a collaboration between Artistic Noise + The Creative Center ✨ Com...
03/10/2026

Join us for the opening reception of Voices in Wax - a collaboration between Artistic Noise + The Creative Center ✨

Come see what happens when older adult community members from The Creative Center partner with youth artists from Artistic Noise’s Art & Entrepreneurship Program to create a series of fabric-based artworks exploring themes of culture, identity, resourcefulness, and creative problem-solving.

Working with silk, dye, and wax resist techniques, participants experimented with printmaking processes and textile traditions. Creative Center artist Omi Gray led hands-on tutorials in batik patterning and hand-dyeing, supported by Artistic Noise’s art therapy team.

The result is a vibrant collection of collaborative works that reflect the creativity, stories, and perspectives that emerge when generations come together through art.

When: Saturday, March 14 | 6:00–8:00 PM
Where: Artistic Noise I 2185 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY

Free and open to the public.
No RSVP required. Refreshments will be served.

Join us for a special screening of Familiar Touch this Saturday!The Creative Center is proud to partner with filmmaker a...
03/06/2026

Join us for a special screening of Familiar Touch this Saturday!

The Creative Center is proud to partner with filmmaker and TCC Training Institute attendee and presenter, Sarah Friedland, for a showing of the brilliant film, FAMILIAR TOUCH.

A groundbreaking “coming-of-old-age” film, FAMILIAR TOUCH follows an octogenarian woman (Kathleen Chalfant) as she transitions to life in assisted living, contending with her relationship to herself and her caregivers while dealing with cognitive decline. Created in close collaboration with the residents and staff of Villa Gardens Retirement Community, the film offers a rare lens into relational care, dignity, and co-creation, core themes in arts in health and creative aging work.

When: Saturday, March 7 I 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Speyer Hall @ 184 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002

This event is FREE for Traning Institute cohort members and a suggested donation of $10 for the general public.

Register here: https://bit.ly/40c7zZ9

Presenter Spotlight: Omi Gray and Victoria Hristoff 🔦We are thrilled to welcome Omi Gray and Victoria Hristoff to the 20...
02/04/2026

Presenter Spotlight: Omi Gray and Victoria Hristoff 🔦

We are thrilled to welcome Omi Gray and Victoria Hristoff to the 2026 Training Institute for Arts in Health & Creative Aging!

Omi Gray is a teaching artist based in Harlem, specializing in textile arts, jewelry, and fashion. Her creations harmoniously merge traditional techniques with contemporary expression, driven by her conviction that art offers both healing and transformative experiences.

Victoria Hristoff, LCAT, ATR-BC, is an art therapist working and living in New York City. She has worked with Artistic Noise for seven years and currently works as their Director of Art Therapy and Youth Services.

In this special session, participants will learn about Intergenerational Voices in Wax, a workshop series developed through a partnership between LMITF cohort members, The Creative Center, and Artistic Noise. Grounded in shared themes of working through resistance, offering and receiving support, building trust across difference, and fostering reparative relationships across generations, the project demonstrates how collaborative artmaking can support connection and mutual understanding across the lifespan.

Apply to become a member of this year's cohort today! https://bit.ly/3NNkA8q

Ready for a Playwriting Adventure? ✏️✨In this fun, low-pressure writing workshop (open to all experience levels), partic...
01/29/2026

Ready for a Playwriting Adventure? ✏️✨

In this fun, low-pressure writing workshop (open to all experience levels), participants will create short scenes and monologues while loosening up their playwriting muscles. Expect imagination, laughter, and snack-themed writing prompts!

Perfect for anyone looking to quiet the inner critic, shake off any self-doubt, and enjoy the writing process again!
A Playwriting Adventure Featuring Fun and Snacks!
Catherine Weingarten
Virtual on Zoom
Tuesdays, February 3, 10, 17 & 24
1:00 - 3:00 PM EST
Community members can register here: https://bit.ly/3LZV1jY
Interested in becoming a community member? Register here: https://bit.ly/479RAMU

🌞 Wearable Creations and New Connections 🌞In our Sunshine Jewelry Making Workshop, participants begin with simple beadin...
01/16/2026

🌞 Wearable Creations and New Connections 🌞

In our Sunshine Jewelry Making Workshop, participants begin with simple beading techniques and move into wire wrapping and mixed media, learning new jewelry-making skills while making space for conversation and self-expression.

Each session invites focus, fun, and experimentation, with room to take risks and follow your instincts.

Materials will be provided.
Sunshine Jewelry-Making Workshop
Sophia Chizuco
In-person @ The Art Room, 184 Eldridge Street
Mondays, February 2, 9 & 23
1:00 - 3:00 PM EST
Community members can register here: https://bit.ly/49GwN62
Interested in becoming a community member? Register here: https://bit.ly/479RAMU

Join us for our 24th Annual Training Institute in March!The 2026 Training Institute for Arts in Health and Creative Agin...
01/09/2026

Join us for our 24th Annual Training Institute in March!

The 2026 Training Institute for Arts in Health and Creative Aging: Integrating Art into Health & Aging

This year’s attendees can anticipate immersive days focused on experiential skill-building, embodied learning, and applied discourse. Through a structured combination of talks, panel presentations, site visits, and facilitated art workshops, experienced staff and presenters will share contemporary knowledge, clinical perspectives, and field-based expertise.

By the end of the program, participants will have gained practical frameworks and strategies for implementing and sustaining high-quality, person-centered arts programming for individuals living with cancer and chronic illness, their caregivers, and older adults across the aging spectrum.
Choose between our full hybrid program or the virtual-only option based on your needs and availability.
Virtual Days: Monday & Tuesday, March 2–3, 2026 (on Zoom) • 11:00 am - 5:00 pm EDT
In-Person Days: Saturday & Sunday, March 7–8, 2026 • 10:00 am - 4:00 pm EDT
Location: The Creative Center at University Settlement, 184 Eldridge Street, New York City
Apply here: https://bit.ly/4aK1xFx

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New York, NY

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Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm

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