me arts ed

Opportunities abound!

I met Denise Rohdin recently at a gathering at the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell where the Maine Arts Commission was sharing information on MACs grants and programs. A new program at MAC is Creative Aging; Kathleen Mundell Kathleen.Mundell@maine.gov is responsible for the program. Denise is an artist who has been working with residents of the Park Residents Assisted Living providing meaningful learning in art. She kindly has written a blog post on her work for the meartsed readers.

With the support of Common Street Arts educational studio I am honored to facilitate creative aging classes to those who would otherwise not have this opportunity. As a freelance artist and teacher I make no distinction between independent studio work and collaborations. One of my current passions is sharing how to create functional, mixed media as well as sculptural art, bringing a visual voice to unspoken experiences.

Bi-weekly I drive my little car filled with an assortment of clay, glazes, brushes, atercolors, drawing pencils, collage items, beads, metal tooling, print making supplies, etc. squeezed into recycled grocery bags. With lesson plans swimming in my head I tool along reflecting on any last minute modifications that might be needed. You see I am heading off to teach a highly diverse, creative group of eighty and ninety year olds.

I sit and chat with them for a bit, listening to their concerns and hesitations. Many of my students, who come from all walks of life, have never had the chance or  time to explore art freely. Busy earlier in life with careers or family life, some confide that art is an uncharted territory, done by “creative” types. Others took a required humanities class in high school or college in the distant past, while a few were established artists who stopped due to age related conditions. Our conversation will often drift to their life stories, inspired by a theme that we will be focusing on that week. One memory leads to another, stimulating a dialog among the artists.

With a wide range of materials for them to explore and a variety of tricks up my sleeve to assist with adjustment of tools and materials, it doesn’t take long before the creative juices are flowing. The desire to create with their own hands temporarily chases away the hurdles of various diseases such as arthritis, memory loss, macular degeneration and Parkinson’s disease. Each time new skills are added, building upon past lessons. Over the weeks and months camaraderie and friendships grow as they arrive at the table via walkers, wheelchairs and their own two feet. Some have specific goals for their chosen medium while others prefer “fiddling around,” to quote one student.  As an example one prefers to work on sketching each week, while another is working on a series of gracefully shaped clay vases. Compliments come naturally among them as they share what each has brought into being.  There is no doubt in my mind of the positive impact of art on the overall health of this inspiring group of students and I am humbled to be a part of this.

Artist statement
Denise Rohdin, a freelance artist, makes no distinction between independent studio work and collaborations with others. The creation of functional and sculptural art plays an integral part of her daily life, bringing a visual voice to unspoken experiences. Intuitive process is the key to her various artistic endeavors which currently include mixed media, ceramics, recycled steel pieces, sculpture, stylized murals, mosaics, photography, distressing and garden design. Her belief that art should be accessible to all only grows stronger with each site-specific project. At present she has the honor of working through Common Street Arts studio, facilitating creative aging classes at Park Residents Assisted Living. Art truly helps  humans make sense of our intricate lives at any stage. Denise brings her adoration for humid weather, creative problem solving, positive attitude, and versatility into any artistic undertaking.