Some of the Quad Cities’ best artists have converged to create a colorful, mini-art museum inside Park Vista North Hill, a senior living community in East Moline.
The facility – at 1451 20th Avenue, featuring independent, assisted living and memory care – is completing extensive renovations to their Memory Care Community area through an initiative called “Paint to End Alzheimer’s,” coinciding with a public event.
Park Vista North Hill is working with local and community artists to express their talent while raising money to battle Alzheimer’s disease.
This mural festival will feature 14 large paintings of local landmarks and rural images across the two main Memory Care Community areas and will culminate with an event to showcase these finalized murals to the community at large on Friday, Sept. 29.
The day will begin with a Farmer’s Market located in the parking lot of the property, and then a ribbon-cutting ceremony set for 3 p.m. along with light refreshments, live music as well as tours of the site.
“Our Paint to End Alzheimer’s event is exciting,” Julie Lonergan, CEO of Park Vista Senior Housing Management, said in a Wednesday release. “These murals, coupled with sensory and engagement stations are innovative for our area. It’s also important to our residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia, as often times they cling to memories of their younger years as their disease progresses.
“Many will remember and relate to murals and images of these Quad Cities area landmarks and rural scenes. We are excited to provide these opportunities for our residents, their families and our team members to engage and interact with these works of art and sensory stations throughout the hallway,” she said.
As part of the murals, the local landmarks also have an overview showcasing the history or unique attributes of each location that families, residents, visitors and team members can read through and engage with each other on both the actual painting as well as the artistic movement behind it.
This allows a greater understanding of the history and stories behind many of the places that represent the greater QC community and landscape, the release said. Some of the landmarks include Vander Veer Park, Whitey’s Ice Cream, Maid-Rite, Lagomarcino’s, I-74 Bridge, the Gentry Shop, Von Maur as well as the original site of the United Township High School.
The rural landscapes feature various scenes including a train car, a bison scene, a flower market, harvest time, an “American Gothic” barn landscape as well as baseball in an Iowa cornfield.
We had a great group of artists who have been working on the murals, including Atlanta Dawn, Sarah Jean Robb, Heidi Sallows, Eve Van Kampen, Doug Rasmussen and Andy Wesa, who is the activity director at Park Vista North Hill as well,” marketing manager Amy Molitor said Wednesday. “The murals are a great mix of rural landscapes as well as local landmarks.
“The murals were started a few weeks ago, but the majority of the work has been done over the past week,” Molitor said. “Most of the murals as well as the sensory stations will be completed by Friday’s ribbon-cutting event.
“The team, as well as our residents are already amazed by the results,” she added. “Art through these murals will help our residents with memory difficulties connect with the world around them through triggered thoughts, memories or feelings that they might not otherwise be able to.”
Strategically placed stations
The Sensory and Engagement Stations strategically placed throughout the hallways invite residents to participate, engage and express their interests in these Memory Care and dementia-friendly stations.
Some are geared towards more sensory-related themes, while others will offer the opportunity for engagements, conversation, and expression through music, movement, imagery and physical connection. These stations allow residents to remain present and interact with their surroundings, which with regular engagement, can be helpful in treating memory issues by providing ways to engage all of a person’s senses.
“Being able to interact with these objects can help those with Alzheimer’s or dementia connect with the world, because these items can trigger positive thoughts, memories or feelings, allowing them to express themselves that they might not otherwise be able to do,” said Brittany Quinn, executive director of Park Vista North Hill.
The stations include a newspaper stand, a flower market and a train scene.
“These areas are important for our residents that have Alzheimer’s or dementia because it can help them remain present and interact with their surroundings,” Molitor said. “Regular engagement of these activities can be helpful in treating memory issues by offering ways to engage all of the senses of our residents and can even show improvement in their symptoms and how they function on a daily basis.
The community is invited to attend the Paint to End Alzheimer’s event at Park Vista North Hill on Friday, Sept. 29. The Farmer’s Market runs from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. The ribbon cutting for the Memory Care Community murals is set for 3 p.m., with food, drinks, live music and tours of the murals from 3 to 6 p.m.
More information about the event and about Park Vista North Hill can be found HERE, or by calling 309-752-9711.
Park Vista North Hill is a part of Park Vista Senior Housing Management, which serves residents and team members at eight sites in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. Their mission is to give back to the generations before us who have sacrificed to make our world what it is today, and operate according to four core values: dignity, collaboration, compassion, and transparency.
