Before moving to Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing, Janice Smith worked for many years as a third grade teacher. She always brought the arts (music, drama, art) into her lesson plans. After reading a book or learning something in history, the students would follow up with activities like dressing up in costumes and acting in plays, gathering art materials, and building dioramas. They even used math equations to draw a life-sized buffalo! Janice would then create bulletin boards of her student’s work to display in the classroom or in hallways of her school.
When
she moved to Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing, she saw beautiful display cases that would
be perfect for displaying the creative work of her fellow residents.
Janice put out a call for artwork with an announced theme and wonderful
things emerged! She has continued to develop displays on new themes
seasonally for the last two years.
This summer’s display theme is “The Talented Women of Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing.” When she attended the resident meeting to announce the theme, she brought a poster that she explained had a teaching moment: the definition of talent: An innate capability, skill, aptitude, flair or instinct. She was not disappointed! Beautiful watercolors, crewel work, oil paintings, quilts, cross stitch pieces and even quilling, made their way down to the display cases. They arrived in groups of similar colors so that the varied pieces of work looked lovely together!
Her next theme? Collections!About The Loomis Communities:
The Loomis Communities has been a visionary in exceptional senior living throughout the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. It was the first organization in the state to open a continuing care retirement community.
With a mission of enriching the lives of older adults, The Loomis Communities offers independent living apartments and cottages, assisted living and skilled nursing care on three campuses in the Pioneer Valley: Applewood in Amherst, Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing in Springfield, and Loomis Village in South Hadley.
For more information, call us.
Applewood: 413-253-9833
Loomis Village: 413-588-5102
Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing: 413-355-5803
or send us a note through our Contact Us form.