John Dunn thought he was just going to do some painting Wednesday at the Orillia Museum of Art and History (OMAH).
It was a “nice surprise,” the local senior said, when he ended up face to face with two elementary school students, learning their life stories and sharing his.
Dunn and other residents of the Leacock Retirement Lodge were taking part in the Seniors in the Studio program offered at OMAH. The program includes four sessions. Last week, participants went on a tour of the building and learned about its history. On Wednesday, students from Mnjikaning Kendaaswin Elementary School in Rama got in on the fun.
The youngsters were paired with seniors. They asked each other a series of questions and then were tasked with painting a “symbolic portrait” based on the answers.
“We come from different backgrounds, but we’re not that different after all,” Dunn said. “It’s been very interesting. It turns out their aspirations are not too different from mine when I was their age.”
It was a valuable experience for the kids, too, said their teacher, Kellie Keddy.
“It’s important to show them that there’s a lot of knowledge to be gained from (seniors),” she said, noting the two generations are symbolized on the Indigenous medicine wheel, in directions that face each other. “The young learn from the elders, and the elders provide that teaching and caring.”
Seniors in the Studio is a way to keep the creative juices flowing and provide a different kind of opportunity for seniors to socialize, explained program co-ordinator and instructor Tanya Cunnington.
“As humans, in general, it’s very easy to close ourselves up, especially during the winter,” she said. “Something like this is so enriching and enlivening for them.”
The program includes “touch tours,” allowing seniors to feel some of the artifacts, which is particularly beneficial to those who have poor vision.
Cunnington has also been using music from the 1930s to the ’60s to spark seniors’ memories, and that has been well received by those who have Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
“I hope they go home happy and inspired and enriched,” she said.
Seniors in the Studio is made possible thanks to a grant from the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility.
