Asia University College of Nursing’s USR (University Social Responsibility) program continues to expand its community practice sites by partnering with the Changhua County Cultural Affairs Bureau to introduce art appreciation and art-based therapeutic courses. Together, they organized the “Art × Museum Prescription” series of activities. A presentation of was recently held at the Changhua County Art Museum, where older adults and university students jointly completed an art piece titled “Sustainable Art Creation – Revealing the Great Buddha.” The work, a mosaic of recycled bottle caps forming the iconic Baguashan Great Buddha, showcased the achievements of intergenerational collaboration and community inclusion.
Changhua County Cultural Affairs Director Chang Chueh-Fen noted that art is not only about aesthetic appreciation but also a powerful form of emotional healing. Older adults from the Xiulaolang Day Care Center created unique self-portraits, each expressing deeply personal life stories and emotions. Exhibiting these artworks allows the public to see the creativity of senior participants and to recognize a society where aging with dignity and living with vibrancy is truly possible.
Since 2018, the Asia University College of Nursing has been awarded the Ministry of Education’s USR grant for ten consecutive years. The program began in Taichung’s Wufeng District and later expanded to Dali, Wuri, and Nantou. The current fourth-phase project, “Sustainable Aging and Dementia-Friendly Inclusive Communities: Digital Innovation × Cognitive Health Prescriptions × Social Inclusion,” has further extended collaboration to the Changhua County Cultural Affairs Bureau. The joint effort aims to promote “Art × Museum Prescriptions” as a non-pharmacological social prescription, supporting older adults in preventing or delaying cognitive decline.
Dean Wu Hua-Shan of the College of Nursing explained that the theme “Sustainable Art Creation – Revealing the Great Buddha” was proposed by students, integrating both sustainability and local cultural identity. Recycled materials such as bottle caps, snack wrappers, and paper cup holders were used to emphasize carbon reduction and environmental sustainability, while the mosaic of the Baguashan Great Buddha symbolically connected the artwork to local culture and heritage.
During the activity, older adults from Xiulaolang Day Care Center collaborated with Asia University students in an intergenerational co-creation process. This not only enriched participants’ artistic experiences but also enhanced emotional interaction, communication, and cognitive expression—realizing cultural participation, non-pharmacological therapy, and community inclusion all at once.
Dean Wu added that the partnership, beginning with the Changhua County Art Museum, will continue to grow. Next year, further collaboration with the Changhua Nanguan and Beiguan Traditional Music Cultural Center is planned to introduce music-based therapeutic courses. The College aims to incorporate dementia-friendly practices into more cultural venues, fostering an age-friendly society grounded in cultural equity, health promotion, and social inclusion.
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