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Briarfield's best
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Briarfield resident Julia Tavarnak proudly paused next to her painting in the art show, the flowers to her left.
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Ted Thorsby’s painted this picture of Mill Creek Park from memory.
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Art teacher Suzanne Gray posed with a mosaic of the Briarfield paintings she helped create.
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Neighbors | Submitted.This picture was painted by 99-year-old John Yavorsky, a resident of Victoria House.
By SARAH FOOR
Austintown Township Park hosted an event that celebrated both art and life Aug. 3, as the Stacey Pavilion displayed the paintings of the residents of the Briarfield Community nursing homes.
The show was arranged by Sue Grecko of Victoria House, with the cooperation of the activity directors of The Manor, The Ridge, and Ashley Circle.
Over four dozen residents of the Briarfield Group participate in weekly or biweekly painting sessions conducted by Suzanne Bort Gray of Boardman and Trish Blackman of Hudson.
The idea was the brainchild of former Ashley Circle Activities Director Donna Mazon, who was asked by a resident with ALS for a real art class.
The painters range in age from 41 to 102 and many have a broad array of challenges, including ALS, Huntington’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Rheumatoid arthritis and macular degeneration. These disabilities don’t present obstacles for the resilient painters who have exhibited their art in galleries around the community.
“People often think that a nursing home is the end of the story — the end of the life,” said Gray. “Just take a look around — that is so not the case.”
Serving as the entertainment for the Austintown event was the Al Hreno Band, who played for a crowd in the band shell.
The pavilion’s small art show celebrated the Briarfield paintings, as well as resident Janet Freisen’s recent Juror’s Award win at a Youngstown State art show. Freisen is an Ashley Circle resident.
Suzanne Gray, who has taught the painting classes to Briarfield residents during the past year, had nothing but admiration and warmth for her students. During her classes, Gray offered guidance, but all the self-portraits, animals and nature images were painted by the residents.
Gray told the tale of a work from Ted Thorsby, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, who painted a picture from memory of Mill Creek Park on his way to his job at Youngstown Sheet and Tube.
Mary Meese (Ashley Circle), painted “Purple Mountains Majesty,” which was chosen as the source picture for The Art of Briarfield montage made up of over 300 images painted by the residents of the Briarfield Group.
Several members of the AC Painting Club will show their work at the Canfield Fair Fine Arts building during this year’s fair.