When Aldergrove resident Leslie Dyson retired, she was finally able to take up painting, attending weekly classes at the Aldergrove Kinsmen Community Centre at 26770 29th Ave.
Working on her artistic skills at “Art Studio,” a course for all levels of ability taught by artist and educator Alexandre Greghi, was a big change for the 66-year-old Dyson, a former reporter and crisis communication and media relations consultant.
“There is no deadline with this,” Dyson commented.
“It’s just unbelievable, to be able to learn something at your own pace.”
Greghi praised his student, describing Dyson, approvingly, as “a wild spirit … patient, curious, and obstinate.
One of Dyson’s works, an oil pastel portrait study titled “Blue” was selected for the show poster at the Langley Arts Council (LAC) “Point of View” exhibition at the beginning of this year. It was her first exhibition.
“This has just opened up my eyes,” Dyson said.
“I’m now working more with intuition and experience and feeling.”
Greghi’s class is looking for a new home – anyone with space available can text 778-751-3871.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Senior artists show their work at Aldergrove exhibition
Point Of View included students from Greghi’s class, who paid out of their own pockets, and participants in the ‘Golden Palette’ program, funded by a federal New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) Grant received by the arts council in 2023.
“This funding request enabled the arts council to provide free and accessible arts and cultural programming to those over the age of 55 in our community,” explained LAC events coordinator Deepika Pandian.
Among the Golden Palette participants was North Otter resident Sandra Alexander, 63, who retired as a district manager for a marketing company to look after her husband Gary, who has Parkinson’s.
“I’ve always liked to do crafts,” and painting, Alexander shared, but she had drifted away from it.
Then, she saw a newspaper notice about a free course, and signed up for all of the classes held by the LAC at the Kinsmen Centre.
“My kids are all in their 30s, and married, and off on their own, and now’s the time to kind of try something different,” she explained.
It was an opportunity to “get out of the house and do something fun with people, and not be shopping and things like that, and learn,” Alexander said.
“I met a whole nice group of people and great instructors.”
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Winner of Langley Arts Council B.C. wide portrait competition surprised and pleased
Art has many health benefits for seniors, according to a study conducted by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts and the Center on Aging, Health, and Humanities at George Washington University.
For two years, researchers followed 300 seniors between 65 and 103. Half the seniors took weekly art classes, while the other half served as a control group.
Seniors in art classes, visited the doctor less often, needed fewer medications, improved their mental and physical health, participated in more community activities, and had wider social circles.
To learn more about LAC programs, visist https://langleyarts.ca.
