Artists have a unique ability to help us see the beauty of everyday life.
Famous works of art like "Whistler's Mother" and "American Gothic" reflect our humanity and preserve a snippet of history for all time. The people depicted in these paintings are real, with age, wisdom, and life experience etched onto their faces. So what better people to portray these famous faces than the residents of a nursing home?
1. MHA Brookfield is the U.K.'s largest charity care home. Sixty-six residents live at MHA Brookfield, where staff members strive to provide them with enrichment experiences along with meeting their everyday needs.
2. For the second year in a row, a volunteer named Rebecca Phillipson has completed a delightful calendar project featuring the home's residents dressed up as famous works of art. The calendars will be sold in the reception area and cost about $16 each.
3. Rebecca took and edited each of the calendar's photos. The residents reportedly loved the experience of dressing up and having their pictures taken!
4. “I really liked the style of my picture and it was good fun," said resident Andrew Reese, who made this year's cover. “A table cloth and some fur was used for my costume and I really enjoyed being a part of this for the second time.”
5. "I am very impressed with how the pictures have come out," activity coordinator Victoria Davidson said. "Those who volunteered to be a part were very excited and could not wait to see what the pictures looked like."
6. "We used a lot of our own equipment at the homes to make props and costumes and it was something we all really enjoyed," Victoria continued.
7. "The pictures have received a lot of interest, so we decided to put them up in the reception area and whenever we have people walking through they stop by and have a look.”
8. Families of the residents will love bringing these special calendars home! Each photograph is a personal work of art featuring a real person, just as the original artist intended.
What a fun and creative way to engage these delightful citizens! We hope they sell plenty of calendars and keep this project going for years to come.
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