Senior citizens across Prince Edward Island are putting their creative minds to work with the help of local artists, says Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Henderson.
“The Learning Elders Arts Program (LEAP) not only creates fun activities for seniors across the Island but it also helps seniors explore their creative sides and helps promote local artists,” said Minister Henderson. “We’re proud to provide funding support for this excellent program.”
The Department of Tourism and Culture invested $50,000 for this year’s program which was administered by the Prince Edward Island Senior Citizens’ Federation and featured 20 projects at various seniors’ homes and clubs across the province.
The funding is used by local seniors’ groups to hire professional and semi-professional artists to teach their members about visual and media arts, dance, instrumental or vocal music, theatre or musical theatre, literary arts, folk arts and crafts.
“This has been an outstanding year for LEAP,” says executive director of the Senior Citizens’ Federation Linda Jean Nicholson. “The Federation works diligently to develop, improve and deliver the program, but credit for the success of LEAP belongs to the project coordinators, Island artists and seniors who participate in the program.”
For more information on LEAP or the PEI Senior Citizens’ Federation, visit www.peiscf.com .
Backgrounder
2012/13 LEAP Projects
Brecken House, Charlottetown
Maritime Music Tour with singer Joscelynne Bordeaux
Club d’Âge d’or Mont Carmel, Wellington
Rug Hooking with Claudette McNeil
Colville Manor, Souris
Seaside Art by the Originals with painter Lorraine Hennessey
Garden Home, Charlottetown
Stone Art and Fabric Sculpting with Paverpol with artist Dina Blot
Geneva Villa, Charlottetown
Exploring Talents with painters Joan Thompson and Nora McCabe
Georgetown Seniors Group, Georgetown
Leap Georgetown Seniors Stained Glass with artist Sharon Forsyth
Friendly Circle Seniors Club, Murray Harbour
Passion for Painting with painter Lorraine Vatcher
MacKinnon Pines Lodge, Montague
A Piece Placed Artistically with quilter Patricia McLean Ettinger
Maplewood Manor, Alberton
Skilled Crafters of the Past with woodworker Brain Wedge
Margaret Stewart Ellis Home, O’Leary
My Homestead in Color with painter Lynn Gaudet
Mayflower Seniors Club, Stratford
Seniors Wood Working with woodworker Tina Davis
O’Leary Seniors Sunshine Club, O’Leary
Ukulele Jamboree with musician Gerald McNally
Parkview Seniors Club, Summerside
Capturing Island Scenes with painter Arno Freitag
Selkirk Millennium Seniors Club, Belfast
Making Painting Fun with painter Audrey Bunt
Senior Surfers Club, Kensington
Busy Hands are Happy Hands with Audrey Glover
Shamrock Seniors Club, Fort Augustus
Leap Shamrock Potters with potter Cindy Lentz
Silver Maples Seniors’ Club, Miscouche
Leap Seniors and Seasons with painter Lynn Gaudet
Silver Threads Seniors’ Club, Souris
Fun with glass with artist Sharon Forsyth
South Shore Villa, Crapaud
Leap Ukulele Fun and Sing Along with musician Dennis Wells
Whisperwood Villa, Charlottetown
Whisperwood Whistle Stop with artist Kier Kenny