Renaissance Enterprises

Renaissance Enterprises
Formation1988; 38 years ago (1988)
FounderBob Rowe
PurposeTherapeutic entertainment
Location(s)Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee and New York

Renaissance Enterprises is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to increase the quality of life for elderly people in long term care facilities and senior centers by providing regular interaction with creative arts, artists, artisans, and performers.

Origins

Audience for a Renaissance program
Audience for a Renaissance program

Renaissance Enterprises was founded in 1988 by Bob Rowe to reach out to elderly members of the community. The organization operates in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee and New York as well as some neighboring states.

Mission

Renaissance Enterprises provides arts and music programs to nursing homes and related care facilities utilizing the services of artists, artisans and performers to serve the elderly through the arts to assist healing and ease suffering. They provide music, dance, puppetry, live art, and others.

Renaissance produced a booklet for artists to guide them in performances for these special audiences.

Renaissance has a staff of 25 volunteer artists and typically delivers over 100 performances per year to audiences that are confined.

Renaissance Enterprises provides programming but does not provide art therapy, music therapy, or dance and movement therapy, as they are not trained to do so. Unlike Renaissance Enterprises' volunteer staff, art therapists, music therapists, dance therapists, and creative arts therapists are allied and/or mental health care professionals who go through a lengthy educational and training process, complete supervised fieldwork, and pass license or board exams.

Notability

Bob and the Green Valley Boys pose with some residents after a concert in Battle Creek Michigan
Bob and the Green Valley Boys pose with some residents after a concert in Battle Creek Michigan

In 2006 the executive director was presented with the Mother Teresa Award for this work.

In 1992, Mother Teresa wrote: "Your work of love in nursing homes, hospitals and for the aged, the neglected and the forgotten is truly the work of peace, for the fruit of love is service and the fruit of service is peace. Works of love like yours bring one face to face with God. Continue to use music to make the presence of God - His love and compassion better known to those in need - His little ones who have forgotten to smile. My prayer is with you in a special way and with all connected with Renaissance Enterprises."

The organization's work has been featured in Catholic Digest.

Funding

Renaissance is supported by charitable foundations, individual donations, corporate donations and support from the care facilities where they work and from sales of artist's CDs.

Foundations that have supported Renaissance Enterprises include:

References

  1. 1 2 The Vision Council. "Bob Rowe Renaissance Enterprises". Renaissance Enterprises. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "ARTS (Artists and Residents Together): A guide for those who bring professional arts programs to long term care facilities" (PDF) (guide). Renaissance Enterprises. June 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-15.
  3. ↑ American Art Therapy Association. "American Art Therapy Association | Home". American Art Therapy Association. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  4. ↑ American Music Therapy Association. "American Music Therapy Association | Home". American Music Therapy Association. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  5. ↑ American Dance Therapy Association. "American Dance Therapy Association | Home". American Dance Therapy Association. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  6. ↑ New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions. "Creative Arts Therapy License Requirements". Mental Health Practitioners: Creative Arts Therapy License Requirements. Archived from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Letter" (PDF). Catholic Digest. Feb 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-27. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Meet Bob Rowe: Singer, musician, and founder of Renaissance Enterprises". Catholic Digest. Retrieved 2013-05-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)

Sources