CALGARY— A local artist has found a unique way to celebrate everyday beauty with a carefully crafted arts package for seniors.
Karen Begg, of Studio West Bronze Foundry & Art Gallery, created the art installation Birds & Blooms using the Public Art Grant for Artist-initiated projects.
The grant was used to design and distribute a senior's safe painting kit.
“I look at the project as two parts— One it was a senior's safe activity ... The second part of it was we installed them publicly at the Twin Views Communal Gardens in Dover," Begg said. “The need was just unbelievable."
The kit was distributed to 74 seniors located in Calgary, including Bethany River View properties who share a border with the community garden. Begg also worked with the Calgary Vietnamese Women’s Association. She added the partnership was especially neat because it allowed for the art project guide was translated into Vietnamese.
She especially enjoyed partnering with the Calgary Vietnamese Women’s Association as it allowed for some of the projects to become inter-generational through grandparents working with grandchildren while painting.
The youngest painter was five-years-old and the idlest was 92. The majority were seniors and was a cool experience as many of the artists who participated were born in the 1930s.
The cut-outs were created by Sunshine Laser Creations in Cochrane and embraced a garden theme by creating flowers, butterflies and birds.
Begg designed the kits to include eight paints, a bunch of brushes, stamps and stencils to decorate. She added the tools she chose were fashioned for arthritic hands to ensure they were easier to use.
“It was really great to give the seniors a safe project to work on as well as to put them on public display to show our community how valuable our seniors are— While keeping them involved in the community,” Begg said.
Seniors were asked to paint a cutout and then send the completed project to Begg to install at the community garden. Seniors were able to keep the art supplies and were provided a canvas so they could keep creating.
Begg was inspired to create the project because she felt bad for seniors who were living in isolation.
“I just got thinking about seniors needing activities … Because, they can’t see their friends,” Begg said. “I feel really bad for them it's been a really hard year on them
Begg said she was impressed with the senior's creativity in decorating the art pieces.
A popular pedestrian path runs through the community garden, Begg said, and she is looking forward to passersby enjoying the newly installed art pieces.
“It brightened a really dim corner and just brought some life back into the community,” Begg said. “I’m really proud of everything that they’ve accomplished.”
