Judging by an art show held at Finlandia Village Nov. 29, the residents of the seniors' community and its staff have plenty of artistic talent.
The art displayed at the show was created by Finlandia residents and staff through the Artists Within program.
Artists Within is a new program at Finlandia. Every two weeks, members from the Art Gallery of Sudbury come in and work with residents on their pieces. They've done a variety of mediums, from water colour to ceramics to acrylic painting and print making, said Jeanna de la Morandiere, volunteer co-ordinator.
“This project is important to our folks, as it brings many benefits to them, such as intellectual and creative thinking, exercising fine motor skills, socialization, expression, promotion of self-confidence,” de la Morandiere said.
“We know there are a lot of artists within our facility, and we wanted to showcase that. The program has been very successful.”
The Artist Within program is designed for all levels of creativity, from those who have been creating art of may years, to those who may never have picked up a paint brush before, she said.
“Residents don't have to have any experience to participate, because the educators are there to help guide them, and they feel very proud afterwards,” said de la Morandiere.
Artists Within is made possible with a grant from the Sudbury Community Foundation.
