Everyone starts with the same materials, and each piece is as unique as the person who made it.
This is how June Schultz and Elizabeth Wells, two educators at The Frick Pittsburgh, begin their classes on approachable avenues to art-making with local senior centers.
Through our senior outreach program, two of our educators visit three local senior homes — Fairmont Apartments, Silver Lake Commons and The Commons at North Aiken Apartments — nearly every month to lead the creation of about 10 art projects a year.
The most recent projects are fiber-based banners.
“We wanted the participants to work together collaboratively and make a work of art that could exist in a common place for everyone to enjoy,” Wells said.
Part of the choice to create the banners out of fibrous materials came after one of the participants shared a story about how she and other members of her church had made quilts together. This led to more residents sharing similar stories.
While Schultz and Wells typically lead seniors in a new project every month, they stretched this special project across two visits. During the first visit, the residents sketched out their ideas, experimented with different materials, and prepared for the final piece. On the second visit, the participants worked to translate their sketches from paper to fabric using felt, fabric markers, paints and even some embroidery.
Each senior created their own square, some choosing to represent personal narratives, family, holidays, objects or locations that are meaningful to them. After each session, Schultz and Wells took the squares back to the Frick where they will be assembled on a banner and displayed.
“There’s something exciting about working with new materials like felt, but also daunting,” Wells said. “I could tell a few were intimidated in the beginning, but once they could stand back and look at their square, I hope they felt confidence and pride. And that’s what I hope they feel when we display these.”
You can see the banners on display in the Frick’s Grable Visitor Center through May 4. After, the banners will each return to their respective senior center to be displayed in a shared space. If you are interested in learning more about the senior outreach program, please contact education@thefrickpittsburgh.org.