Painting class for Tuscaloosa seniors yields more than art

The artists were young in one sense, not so young in another. As amateur artists, a group of senior citizens were both.

Home in Place, a Tuscaloosa agency that helps senior citizens, sponsored the class that was designed to not only teach what might be new skills but also to foster a spirit of community. Becky Embrey is the executive director of Home in Place and she puts an emphasis on the need for seniors to have a sense of belonging.

“We at Home in Place, one of the things we think is really important is that we really work on developing relationships and a sense of community. We have transported many of these people here because they don’t drive. They are laughing, having fun, having snacks, and the important thing is not the paintings they end up with but the chance to meet these other people and interact with them and get out of where they normally stay,” Embrey said.

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One of the people who was painting at the workshop held in mid-September at Grace Presbyterian in Tuscaloosa was Pam Loper, a retired registered nurse. She brought a basil plant for one of her new friends to whom she had previously given her some tomatoes.

“I really do enjoy these classes. I get to meet new people, and I enjoy painting and drawing anyway. I was a registered nurse, but I’ve always enjoyed drawing and painting. I do come to all the classes. I do enjoy the company,” Loper said.

Volunteers from the University of Alabama help administer the arts and crafts programs. A pair of women studying for their Ph.D.s were running the workshop. Valerie Luskey is working on her doctorate in geriatric psychology, while Alexandra Kalinyak is studying for her doctorate in clinical child psychology.

“I heard about this program through the school and I wanted to volunteer. I told them sometimes I do some painting stuff. They said great, let’s get you set up. They bought all the supplies and helped me set up for the first thing. It’s amazing. It’s such a good community program. Everyone is so nice and it’s just a real good time with everyone,” Luskey said.

Though Kalinyak is working toward a child psychology doctorate, she had always enjoyed working with senior citizens.

“I used to work with older adults in research at my former job. I don’t get to do that as much anymore, but I miss working with older adults. Then I saw the opportunity to volunteer and help out, I was like, why not? I could meet people and get involved in the community. It was a win-win,” Kalinyak said.

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Embrey said one of the issues seniors face is a sense of isolation. She said isolation can be a real issue even for seniors who live in assisted living environments.

“We really feel like building relationships is our forte. Isolation is a problem for seniors. Many of our people live alone in their home, but even people who live in assisted living sometimes just stay in their room even if they have activities. This is an organized way to get them out and get them involved,” Embrey said.

By the end of the day, the artists, young in experience but maybe not so young in years, had produced a painting of a night street scene with a street light. Perhaps the art won’t be hanging in the Guggenheim Museum, but that was never the point. The shared society, new friends met, and relationships built was the true art of the day.

Reach Gary Cosby Jr. at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Art class builds social bonds for senior citizens in Tuscaloosa