The opening reception for the exhibition “Elder Art: Creative Aging Through the Arts Showcase” on June 30 was well attended. The Art Center of Western Nebraska will display the exhibit through July 31.
Local seniors are featured in an exhibit currently underway at the Western Nebraska Art Center. “Elder Art: Creative Aging Through the Arts Showcase” highlights the work of students 60 and older. The exhibition will remain open until July 31.
The art students worked for several months with artists Mary Hunt and Michelle Denton to create a variety of works through a variety of mediums. Hunt worked once a month on Wednesday mornings with The Residency and Art Center group. Some of the projects were sculptures, acrylic painting, design and salt dough decorations.
“We have three different groups: one from The Residency, a group at the Art Center, and Michelle Denton and I also do a group at the Lakota Lutheran Center, so it’s kind of different projects,” Hunt said. “We made mosaics by cutting up pieces of magazines and it was one of my favorite projects because of the variety of abilities.”
Members of The Residency in Gering will participate in the Creative Aging Through the Arts program with West Nebraska Art Center artist Mary Hunt in December. Residents created Christmas trees from pine cones. Some of the works are currently on display in the art center.
Hunt provided the art students with a pattern and example for the projects, but from that point on they can take the project wherever they see fit. During each class period, most projects could be completed, although artists could take projects home to finish. At the older art exhibition, there are at least eight different projects completed during the calendar year.
The canvas for the acrylic paint project was a wine bottle. Before the project, Hunt put primer on the bottles, which allowed the paint to stick better. The variety of pieces that came out of this project was amazing, Hunt said.
WNAC made the presentation possible with support from the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Foundation.
“This is an experimental project that (the arts council) is doing,” Hunt said. “It’s called the Creative Aging Through the Arts program. They contacted us and asked if we would do the training. I had already done the senior art program here for a year and a half, so going through the training was interesting.
Western Nebraska Art Center artist Mary Hunt works with two young people on creative aging through the Lakota Lutheran Center Art Program.
The program emphasizes the importance of socialization and creativity.
“Luckily, we’ve worked with the Arts Council in the past and received grants from them, so it’s really good to work with them,” he said. “People love the class. I think I’ve made a list of about 30 people.
The art center group attracts about a dozen people every month. The next class will be on July 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. People are encouraged to contact the Arts Center to sign up. The age range is for people aged 65 and above.
The last class at the Residency was last week, but the exhibition also includes works by artists.
“You’re never too old to try something,” Hunt said. “I have a 95-year-old woman who had done artistic things earlier in her life, like portraits and drawings, but hadn’t done anything for years. Now she has the opportunity to do something creative again, and she did amazing things.
The gallery exhibition is free and open to the public. The opening hours of the gallery are from Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 13:00 to 17:00.
For more information about the exhibit or to register for the senior art class, contact the art center at 308-632-2226.
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