Art at Every Age
- Topics:
- Arts in Savannah
by Rachel Stayer, Outreach Coordinator at Telfair Museums
Telfair Museums’ Golden Age Outreach is a marvelous program offered to local senior citizens within the city of Savannah. Each visit is rich with joy, love, and uplifting spirits. The participants are always so happy and eager to dive right into the projects. Despite minor personal challenges and lack of professional artistic training, everyone is always encouraging of one another, and the final products are truly appreciated. Seeing the pride and sense of accomplishment shine through their smiling faces is a great treasure. The art instructor, Autumn Gary, reflects on her experience with the senior citizens:
“I love learning from them and being in their presence. I feel honored to share that space. Their confidence and openness to experience new things and to continue creating with their hands and positive energy, even on rough days, helps me become more aware of my place in the world. It stirs in me the desire to be more considerate of the effect I have on others through my attitude and to be more courageous in facing new opportunities. And… they are FUN!!!”
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The 2019 Golden Age Outreach takes place at 12 different community centers throughout Savannah and reaches approximately 200 total individuals. Each participating group is visited three consecutive times in order to work progressively and complete a project with a high-quality product. This year’s program is inspired by the featured local artist Katherine Sandoz and her installations at the Jepson Center, katniss and sagittaria. Participants are encouraged to be influenced by Sandoz’s painting style and her botanical subject matter. The participants already enjoy painting, but are challenged in this program to use an untraditional canvas: a terracotta planter. Participants are also encouraged to explore new techniques practiced by Sandoz such as glazing and washing.
The highlight of this project is the final stage of the process. The sessions end with a gardening activity, and each participant is able to get their hands a little dirty and plant a beautifully colored Coleus in their pot. These plants require partial sunlight and have hearty leaves, making them ideal for those who may not have the best green thumb. This is the first time Telfair has done outreach programming with the senior citizens that has involved live products, and the participants absolutely love it. It reconnects them to nature by having a beautiful plant to look at, gives them something to care for, and it enhances the space around them by making it vibrant and lively. Most importantly, it is something they made themselves and serves as a visual reminder that they are capable of great achievements.
A few reflections from the participants after completing the project: