David Haynes Art Exhibition Art Reception

Creative Aging Network- NC (CAN-NC) and UNCG’s Gerontology Program will present a new exhibition of art by David Haynes at the Creative Aging Network- NC Hallway Gallery on UNCG’s campus. The exhibition opens on Tuesday, October 15th with a reception to be held from 4:30-6:00pm at 524 Highland Ave, Ferguson Building (2nd Floor-UNCG) in Greensboro. The show will be on view for 6 months.

David Haynes, a 1982 UNCG Alumni and a Long-Term Care Insurance Specialist, attended a pet portrait class at Creative Aging Network-NC in Greensboro in the fall of 2019. “I never drew or painted until then. I enjoyed the class and the encouragement from instructor Jennifer Donley and Lia Miller, CAN-NC’s Executive Director. They encouraged me to purchase a few brushes, paints, and canvases” Haynes says. Four years and over 350 paintings later, Haynes has turned his love for painting into a new hobby. “Remember, what you say to others, matters.”
Haynes has painted a variety of images and scenes as his hobby has expanded over the last 4 years. His website offers 90 paintings in 7 Collections. “I feel a closer presence to God while I paint and often listen to old Christian hymns while I paint, especially the many churches that I’ve found an interest in.”
Haynes has a unique signature trademark. In all of his paintings, he cleverly hides “three” tiny crosses. “The crosses remind me of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It is only fitting that I honor Him, who has blessed me with a new talent. I am excited to share this delight of painting with our community and others.”
Organized by Elise Eifert, Gerontology Graduate Coordinator, and Lia Miller, Executive Director of Creative Aging Network-NC, the Creative Aging Network-NC Hallway Gallery features art by mature artists or art that features themes related to aging. The creative arts give older adults a platform to share their voices and pass their legacy to the next generation. The arts play a vital role in helping them stay engaged in their communities socially, civically, and psychologically. For elders with cognitive disabilities, the arts provide an essential link for communication and emotional expression, helping them better connect with their care partners and the broader community. According to Dr. Gene D. Cohen, the founding Director of the Center on Aging at the National Institute of Mental Health and founder of the Center on Aging, Health, and the Humanities at George Washington University, participation in activities that foster creative engagement and skills mastery in a social environment has positive psychological, physical, and emotional health benefits for older adults.
Creative Aging Network-NC’s mission is to provide innovative arts programming and education to enhance the well-being and social connection among aging adults throughout North Carolina. The Creative Aging Network-NC campus, located in Greensboro NC, serves as a site for intergenerational and multicultural engagement, collaboration, and education.

The Gerontology Program at UNCG https://hhs.uncg.edu/gerontology is a nationally recognized academic program that prepares individuals to understand the aging process and issues related to an aging society. Graduates are prepared to apply research and theory to address the needs of older adults and equipped to be leaders in the aging services and beyond.

For more information about Creative Aging Network-NC, visit CAN-NC’s website at https://can-nc.org/ or call 336-303-9963.