In 2018, the author embarked on Master of Education research to investigate how mature adults were affected by regular participation in visual art classes. Visual art education is reported to have a positive effect on the cognition of mature adults in various contexts (Schindler et al., 2017; Wali et al., 2001), so this research investigates whether social participation in a structured, creative class in an everyday community setting could promote such change. For the study the author ran a series of art classes that concentrated on developing drawing, painting and design skills and culminated in each participant creating a painting of a person close to them. The findings fell into three main categories: changes in self-efficacy and self-concept, social bonding and growth, and educational outcomes.