At the Edward A. Myerberg Center, part of The Associated Network, creativity doesn’t just fill the room, it provides purpose, sparks joy and creates long-lasting friendships.

For Baltimore native Sandra Sapp, art became a new chapter for her after a lifetime of caring for others. A retired registered nurse who spent decades supporting patients, from Sinai Hospital to the Pikesville Daycare to the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Sandra started attending art classes at the Myerberg Center after retiring in 2006.

Offered four days a week, art classes can include learning how to paint with oils, acrylics, alcohol ink and more, as well as working with ceramics and other art projects.

“Our art class is a very special, talented group of students who care and respect one another,” Sandra explains. “We are extremely lucky to have an instructor who is special; there is no one like her.” Set to a backdrop of classical music, the class offers what Sandra describes as a “peaceful and relaxing” space to create and connect.

Sandra likes to paint in pastels, using soft layers of color to capture the quiet beauty of everyday moments.

“Inspiration comes from my family, friends, my early morning walk every day, gardening…simple things like listening to a singing bird or seeing a flower in bloom,” Sandra says.

This year, her work in the show will be especially personal: a portrait honoring a classmate who can no longer attend due to illness, alongside a piece featuring her son’s cat. For Sandra, the experience of exhibiting her work is rooted in mutual appreciation.

“My classmates and I appreciate each other’s talents when our work is displayed in the art show,” she says.

Today, Dan works primarily in oils, drawn to their richness and vibrancy. “I just love the colors. There’s a glow you can get with paint that I enjoy,” he says. His work spans portraits, landscapes and scenes inspired by museums, photographs and everyday life.

For Dan, sharing his work in the art show is one of the most rewarding parts of the process. “It’s very enjoyable… to see other people’s reactions,” he says. “It’s a very nice feeling when someone connects with your work.”

Like his classmate Sandra, Dan values the rhythm and camaraderie of the weekly sessions. The group has become “like a little club,” where artists return year after year. “It’s a nice atmosphere where you know people for a long time and enjoy the company,” he says. With classical music playing in the background, the class offers both structure and freedom, something Dan even helps lead by cueing up the music each week.

Both artists agree that creative expression plays an important role in healthy aging. It keeps the mind active, encourages self-expression and fosters meaningful relationships.

Aside from the art classes, both Sandra and Dan take full advantage of everything Myerberg offers the 55+ community, from opportunities to socialize and stay active to programs that keep the mind engaged. As Dan puts it, “That’s what they tell me are the three things you need: something for socializing, something to stay physically well and something to keep the mind active… and I hope that art has satisfied some of that.”

Check out Dan and Sandra’s artwork, alongside more than 60 other talented artists, at the Myerberg Spring Art Show on Wednesday, May 27.