Art is a powerful medium of expression. Particularly for the aging, it can present an opportunity to open up to outsiders what may be a lifetime of inspirational images never before shared.
Julia Gibbs, a resident at Elderwood of Lakeside at Brockport, is one of thirteen winning artists from across New York state whose work was chosen for the 2019 “Art from the Heart” calendar. Her painting titled “The Penguin Family” is featured on the month of January.
The annual calendar is the result of an art contest launched in 2004 by the Foundation for Quality Care, Inc., the New York State Health Facilities Association (NYSHFA) and the New York State Center for Assisted Living (NYSCAL). Residents of more than 380 NYSHFA/NYSCAL member skilled nursing and assisted living facilities around the state were invited to submit artwork. The judges included representatives from the New York State Museum and the Sorelle Gallery in Albany.
When asked what she enjoys about painting, Gibbs replied, “It brings out your inner self and I enjoy having it come out good.” Creating art is not a new experience for Gibbs. “Something came over me years ago and I started painting,” she said. When she created her piece, “The Penguin Family” she was thinking that she wanted to do something different from what she normally paints. “It has to come from your heart,” she said. “If it doesn’t come from your heart, it’s not worth doing.”
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