British novelist C.S. Lewis said, “You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.”

How uplifting to see so many seniors in southeastern Connecticut living these words through art. In its first-ever art exhibition, Old Lyme’s Memorial Town Hall, through the end of July, is showcasing 24 drawings and watercolors created by members of the Lymes’ Senior Center. The collection of still lifes, landscapes and animal and human portraits add color, interest and focus to the hallways.

Sharon Schmiedel, the senior center’s art teacher, said the classes attract a wide range of students. Some are proficient and experienced artists, some created art when they were younger and are rediscovering its joys, and still others are curious and interested in art but new to practicing it themselves. Students range in age from their 60s to their 80s.

Lyme and Old Lyme are not the only places where seniors are discovering or rediscovering the artist within. In Stonington, the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center regularly sponsors a popular multi-media art class. Students’ work was exhibited in June at the Artists Cooperative Gallery of Westerly.

Lymes’ Senior Center Director Stephanie Gould said that center’s members also regularly enjoy less sedentary activities. The center sponsors yoga, for example, and members requested tap dancing classes. Some 20 enthusiastic dancers now show up regularly, including an 80-year-old participant who had no previous tap dancing experience.

“I encourage a lot of experimenting,” Schmiedel said of her art classes. “Art is a safe place to take chances, a perfect place to take risks.”

While some may view their senior years as a time to reduce or eliminate activities they once enjoyed, the popularity of these offerings for older residents demonstrate it’s never too late to discover new talents, try a new activity or rediscover a dream.