11-27-2024 Primetime Living - Flipbook - Page 16
16 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Art as we age,
continued from page 8
At that point, a friend mentioned some
studio space at 3406 Chestnut Avenue
in Hampden.
“I went over there, looked at the
space, and thought to myself, ‘This
could be fun.’ That was my business
plan,” Rosen recalls, laughing. “I started
out thinking this was just more studio
space for me. I wanted to carry the work
of other artists too, and invited some
women who made polymer clay jewelry,
which can look very ‘mosaic like.’ After
a while, I started making mosaic jewelry
myself, smaller items. It added another
price point to what I sold in the gallery,
and people tend to buy jewelry more
often than art for their walls. As I got into
it, it was fun, too.
Gail’s wife suggested the name for
the gallery: “Andamento.” The word is
Italian; it means “movement” or “course”
and refers to the way pieces are set in
a mosaic in order to draw the eye. Gail
also appreciates the “Andamento” of
our lives – the movement or course
that is sometime surprising. Since she
opened Andamento (www.andamentogallery.com), there has been time to
work on her art and enough traffic to
keep it interesting and social.
“I meet lots of people and make
friends along the way. One person, for
instance, wandered into my studio and I
All artwork shown in this article is by Janet Yellowitz.
Atrium Village,
continued from page 4
‘kept her.’ We noticed how much we had
in common and became friends. I also
got involved with the Hampden Village
Merchants Association and enjoyed
meeting other proprietors.
“I still love what I do and really enjoy
meeting other mosaic artists to see what
they do,” Rosen states. “There’s joy in
introducing the people who come to
Andamento to new artists, styles, and
materials. I have a section of the gallery
for visiting artists. Their pieces stay up
for three months and we have an opening reception where anyone can drop by
and meet them. A newsletter goes out
once a week to keep people informed,
and I participate in First Fridays in
Hampden when businesses stay open
until 8 p.m. and there’s wine and cheese
and free parking.”
Why Take Up Art?
Both women are among a growing
number of older adults who want to add
creativity to their schedule, something
that they can do to stretch their minds,
to learn something completely new and,
eventually, become proficient or at least
have fun!
There are classes throughout the
Baltimore area for different art forms.
Maybe you like gardening, an art form
that involves physical exercise. The
Potters Guild and Baltimore Clayworks
have classes in pottery making. Around
the area, there are classes in jewelry
making, drawing, beading, and more.
Visit Baltimore (baltimore.org), our
convention and visitors’ bureau, has listings for a variety of art classes. Check
out the Creative Alliance (creativealliance.org) in Patterson Park for classes in writing, sewing, improvisation,
and Pilates (not an art form, but worth
including). Social Studio Art (socialstudioart.com) has instruction in different
types of painting. And you can become
a better cook at the Baltimore Chef
Shop (www.baltimorechefshop.com). At
Keswick’s Wise & Well Center (choosekeswick.org), you can learn American
Sign Language (ASL) or learn how to do
photography, drawing, oil painting, or to
make felt animals.
The health benefits are huge.
Learning new stuff – even art – keeps
our brains functioning, building new
pathways, and taking classes with others of all ages is a hedge against isolation. So, dive into something new,
something that challenges you. If it’s not
art, learn a new language. Start a book
club. Many classes start in January so
start browsing options today and sign
up. You may run into me at one of them.
“Isolation is a very real danger with
our older adults,” says Potts. “That’s why
there are so many opportunities to interact with the other residents. For instance,
one woman in memory care loves salad.
She wanted to go out to lunch, so Dena
found a restaurant with lots of delicious
salads on the menu and took her there.”
Potts said, “We talk with them,
engage them, make them feel welcome
and involved. One person was reluctant
to engage, to get involved in activities;
another resident got her to come to the
crochet club and that broke the ice.
“The Goddard School for Early
Childhood Development is close by, and
our residents go there once a month
and read to the students, a way to keep
them integrated with other generations.
The students came here to celebrate
Halloween and loved trick or treating in
their costumes. The residents savor these
events.
“In December, we are having a big
ball for every holiday: Jewish, African,
Japanese, a multicultural mix with
Klezmer and Christmas music. Kwanzaa,
Santa, Hanukkah – we celebrate everything.”
Atrium Village is a family of 172 residents. In addition to independent living,
assisted living and memory care, Atrium
Village also has furnished apartments
available for respite care for short-term
stays to give caregivers a break. When
Bonnie Mott needed a place for her mother to stay while she traveled to upstate
New York to visit her children, Atrium
Village was the perfect solution.
Patty Potts and Dena Schrier invite
you to their open house every Saturday
10 a.m.-2 p.m. for a walk-in tour of Atrium
Village. No RSVP or appointment needed!
They look forward to meeting you.