Artist is bringing the world to shut-ins

Murals reach beyond the walls of memory loss.
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The residents at Eastbrooke Gardens in Casselberry, Fla., may never be able to leave the confines of their assisted-living center, which cares for patients with memory loss. But worry not, they have their own oasis inside -- a global adventure painted on the walls.
There's a French caf & eacute;, with vibrant shuttered windows, blooming flowers, the Eiffel Tower and people roaming the streets. Down the hall, residents can watch the ocean unfold while seagulls fly through the skies and palms flap in the breeze. Or they can bask in a sunlit Cuban plaza, lined with stone steps, flower boxes and laundry hanging from a clothesline.
Muralist Frank Rao brought the walls to life as a way to spark memories in the adults who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and give them an escape from the four walls they're limited to.
"They'll just stand there and get lost in the paintings," says Elaine Torres, the center's executive director. She heard of Rao's work through word-of-mouth, and he took on the job as his latest challenge. He'll soon begin work at Eastbrooke's sister center in Zephyrhills, Fla.
The artist
Rao, 49, comes from a long line of artists and craftsmen. His Italian grandfather painted and sculpted. But it was Frank Rao's father who turned him on to murals. Rao's designs and creations can be seen around the world in restaurants, businesses and homes .
It took Rao five weeks, on and off, of freehand brushstrokes to complete Eastbrooke's many masterpieces. Murals depicting gondolas in Venice, a New York cityscape and New Orleans remain hidden from view, in a wing that's being renovated. He says those paintings are his favorites and subtly feature the faces of the center's staff and owners. He even painted over clunky electrical boxes and doors to blend them into the murals.
Once-dreary grayish-blue walls and archways have been painted vibrant colors to accompany Rao's murals. Torres selected shades such as Mexican chile, guava jam, California poppy and staple hay to bring out Rao's best. Many families who tour Eastbrooke wonder if the colors agitate the residents. Torres says it has had the opposite effect -- the 47 inhabitants seem calmer.
"It's absolutely amazing what color does," says Rao, who's typically commissioned to create 50 murals a year.
Wooden benches line the hallways so residents can sit and admire the artist's creations, even if for just the split-second they may remember them.
"It brought me joy to see people here stop and look," Rao says. "I'd have a little crowd. They'd pull up a chair and talk to me. I felt a little bit like an entertainer."