Partner Painting at River Garden

By Leslie Held, River Garden Senior Services

After a long hiatus, our beloved intergenerational art experience returned with a slight modifi cation due to the virus. Historically, a few times a year, students arrived to jointly create a work of art with those living on our campus. Each student and senior would work together on one canvas which, when completed, was hung in our Art Gallery upstairs.

In October, residents and members of The Coves each received a uniquely painted canvas that the students from the Jacksonville Jewish Center had pre-painted with various backgrounds. The students were provided a subject matter and had full autonomy on using their creativity to bring the canvas to life. Each new session always begins with a unique theme. With Fall approaching our theme was “veggie painting”. With the backgrounds completed our artists were given only vegetables to paint with.

From “Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors”, The Garden of Eden, a Hamsa, and Landscapes, their combined eff orts resulted in beautiful pieces. We welcome you to stop by our Art Gallery on the second fl oor and see our artists’ current works.

The completed canvases will rotate in the Gallery every few months and perhaps student artists will be able to attend the next session in person, sitting side-by-side with their partner.