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Queens Resident’s Art Is Displayed In 2007 Calendar
Art, a powerful medium of expression, particularly for the aging, can present an opportunity to open up to outsiders what may be a lifetime of inspirational images never before shared. The 13 artists, who are residents of New York state nursing homes, have translated visions from their hearts and minds into winning entries of a juried art contest, now featured in the 2007 calendar, “Art from the Heart”, sponsored and supported by NYSHFA and the foundation. As a stagehand with CBS Television, Keane often spent time backstage drawing pictures and portraits during his breaks. In the paragraph describing his work on the April page of the calendar, Keane noted that sometimes people did not believe he was the artist until they actually saw him doing his drawing. “They would always be very surprised,” he said. Keane’s sketch, “Latin Lady”, is a pensive young woman with shoulder length dark hair in a feathered cut and unreadable dark eyes. Her mouth is set in an enigmatic line that has just a faint hint of what might be a smile at the corners. She wears spiral seashell earrings almost lost in the line of her hair. “Latin Lady” stands in contrast to Keane’s drawing of a smiling young girl that was selected for last year’s calendar as well. Keane plans to submit more of his work in future competitions. “I like to keep busy. It gives me freedom to create something,” he said. The second annual “Art from the Heart” calendar is the result of an art contest launched in 2004 by residents of more than 250 NYSHFA-member long-term care facilities around the state who were invited to submit artwork. Proceeds from the calendar will help improve the quality of life for long term care residents at facilities across New York. Each NYSHFA member nursing home was encouraged to hold its own art contest and was invited to submit up to two pieces of original artwork by their residents. The response was overwhelming, with nearly 70 pieces submitted from across New York state. Four judges included representatives from the Albany Institute of History and Art, the New York State Museum, the State University of New York at Albany Art Museum and Viewpoint Gallery at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital. Ranging in age from 40 to 98, the artists who submitted work come from different backgrounds that have created a unique blend of artistic styles. Some are professional artists who have been drawing and painting their entire lives, while others discovered their talents after moving into a long-term care facility where they began taking art classes. “Our residents have shared such rich stories through their artwork,” Edwin Graham, president of the Foundation for Quality Care, Inc., said “For the second year in a row, the ‘Art from the Heart’ calendar provides a forum for these talented and interesting individuals to shine.” Other residents of nursing care facilities in Queens whose art is reproduced in the 2007 NYSHFA Art From the Heart Calendar are Max Freiman, an 88-year-old resident of Forest View Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, Forest Hills, and Moonhee Disney, 58, who lives at Horizon Care Center in Arverne. Freiman‘s “Beauty and the Beach” is a whimsical look at the bathing beauties who sunned themselves on Rockaway Beach in the artist’s younger days, and later during his retirement in Miami. Disney brought a vision for “Tulips” to brilliant life through her bold use of color and form. The 2007 “Art from the Heart” calendar can be purchased for $12 by calling NYSHFA at 518-482-4800 or visiting www.nyshfa. org. The Web site also includes a gallery of artwork featured in the “Art from the Heart” calendar. Proceeds from the calendar benefit the Foundation for Quality Care, Inc. a non-profit, grant-supported organization that focuses on improving the quality of care and quality of life in New York state nursing homes. In addition to being featured in the calendar, the Albany Institute of History and Art will display all of this year’s winners along with additional pieces selected by the panel of judges from January 29 to March 9. Besides Keane, Freiman and Disney, the list of “Art from the Heart” Art Contest winners for the 2007 calendar includes Larry Ahokas, 52, Terrace Healthcare Center Inc., The Bronx; Diane Araguren, 62 and Morris Rosenweig, 72, Patchogue Nursing Center, Patchogue; Albert Barker, 73, Glen Cove Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation, Glen Cove; John J. Burns, 89, The Waters of Endicott, Endicott; Mardi de Leon, 77, Northeast Center for Special Care, Lake Katrine; Ernst Lilvois, 72, Little Flower Nursing Home, East Islip; Ruth Schuman, 81, Huntington Hills Center for Health & Rehabilitation, Melville; Gloria Williams, 83, Regeis Care Center, The Bronx, and Vera Zbozhna, 85, Shore View Nursing Home, Brooklyn. The New York State Health Facilities Association is dedicated to ensuring that members are able to provide a quality, accessible, efficient, continuum of health care and related services. A statewide healthcare membership organization for nearly 60 years, NYSHFA is a trusted source of long-term care information for both consumers and the media and provides its members with continuing education, consulting and support services in critical care, life/safety standards, public relations, legal and legislative affairs, regulatory compliance, finance, data processing and information. The Foundation for Quality Care provides innovative programs and conducts issue-driven research designed to improve the quality of care in nursing homes. It also strengthens the New York state long-term care workforce by providing extensive continuing education for nursing home staff. The Art from the Heart program is among the broad array of issues and opportunities addressed by the foundation. For more information about NYSFHA, visit www.nyshfa.org. For more information about the Foundation for Quality Care, visit www.foundationforqualitycare.org. |
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