Ojai Senior Poetry Competition Sparks Creativity and Engages Community

In May, the Ojai Valley Museum, Ventura County Arts Council, and the Gables of Ojai collaborated on a poetry competition for adults 55-plus in their community in honor of Dr Ethel Percy Andrus, founder of AARP and Grey Gables in Ojai.

The project was spearheaded by Gary Liu, a junior at The Thacher School, who wanted to address older adults’ isolation and mental health issues by sharing literature that could inspire a collaborative process of community bonding, provide opportunities for creative self-expression, and encourage intergeneration connections through literary exchange.

The Ojai Valley Museum announced the winners of the poetry competition in June. You can read the winning poems here.