Expressive Arts collection shows unique talents of senior residents
May 14, 2024 -- The Expressive Arts collection created by East-Central Indiana senior residents is on display through June 31 in Reid Health's MacDowell Gallery.
Expressive arts are designed to improve engagement and the quality of life for extended care
residents and day center participants in areas focused on mental health,
rehabilitation, dementia care, and medicine.
Shannon
Fanning, Director of Post-Acute and Community Services at Reid Health, said studies
show expressive arts have many benefits, including fewer doctor visits, less
medications, fewer falls, higher morale, and an increase in activities.
Expressive arts also allow avenues for self-expression, feeling of mastery,
overcoming limitations, and increased socialization, she added.
"Expressive
arts are more than arts and crafts," Fanning said. "Everyone has their own way
of expressing themselves and each person's work is unique. Expressive arts
allow individuals to learn more about themselves and others around them."
The Expressive
Arts collection in MacDowell Gallery celebrates Older American Month this May
and serves to highlight the many talents and contributions of our seniors to
their communities.
The collection features
50 pieces by individual artists or group projects from eight expressive arts
programs from:
- Ambassador Healthcare, Centerville
- Hickory Creek, Connersville
- Majestic Care of Connersville
- Arbor Trace, Richmond
- Reid Health Program of All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE), Richmond
- Rosebud Village, Richmond
- The Springs of Richmond
- Pineknoll Rehabilitation Centre, Winchester
Additional paintings,
pottery, and three-dimensional pieces were temporarily on display during a
reception for artists held on May 9. Pieces created by PACE participants will
be on display at the day center through the end of June.
David really
enjoyed the art collection. The Rosebud Village resident visited the exhibit
during the reception, traveling to Reid with a group.
Hickory Creek
Expressive Arts participants and friends also visited during the reception.
Ruth is one of the artists and created one of two sets of owls, composed from
colorful paper triangles, and fingerprint art framed in the MacDowell Gallery.
She participates in the expressive arts activities offered weekly at the
residential facility.
"I love the
music. I was born into it and raised in it," Ruth said.
Karen Leach,
Activities Director for Hickory Creek, said expressive arts include canvas art,
adult coloring books, music, bells class, and more.
"Many of our
residents have never painted before, but they try it," Leach said. "Before
retirement, many of our residents didn't have time to take up hobbies because
they were working or raising a family. Now they have the time to try things and
to see what it is they like."
Reid Health
established an extended care facility coalition with the support of an Indiana
State Department of Health grant in 2015. The coalition's goal was to improve
quality by working on projects with residential facilities, including
"Incorporating Expressive Arts in Long Term Care Facilities."
"We completed this project and as a result had an astounding number of residents that participated with many art pieces. We decided as a celebration of the project, we would host a senior exhibit. We held our first exhibit in 2018," -- Shannon Fanning, Director of Post-Acute and Community Services at Reid Health
The tradition
continues with the Expressive Arts collection. Fanning hopes visitors to
MacDowell experience a sense of joy while looking at the artwork, with the
contributions showing the amount of time and effort the artists put into the
pieces.
"This exhibit
has allowed individuals to express themselves, and I hope visitors can
emotionally connect with the artists," Fanning said.
The MacDowell Gallery is located on the second floor of the Reid Health Outpatient Care Center at 1100 Reid Parkway in Richmond. The gallery is named after Barry MacDowell, who served as Reid President and CEO from 1988 to 2008. Visitors can use the Grand Staircase or the outpatient elevators to reach the exhibit.