Students from Amherst College pose with members of the Senior Center in front of new mural.
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
AMHERST — The Senior Center was the gathering spot for an unveiling of a new mural within the center’s community room on Dec. 10 in thanks to a partnership with an Amherst College Public Art and Collaborative Practices course.
During this semester, students from Professor Lucia Monge’s course have been meeting with seniors, brainstorming designs and painting the mural. Many features included in the final product came directly from the ideas and requests of seniors who are regular visitors of the center.
“We are so thrilled to be able to unveil this beautiful mural,” said Director of Senior Services Hayley Bolton.
Bolton explained when she was first approached by the college about the mural, she had to seize the opportunity and was committed to help Monge and her students in any way possible to add the art to some of the center’s space.
“When I walk into the building and I see this, my heart just sings. I think it represents a fantastic collaboration with the students and it represents a brighter and bolder future for Amherst seniors,” Bolton said. “I’m going to stop there because I could cry. It’s absolutely beautiful and I really want to thank all of you for making it possible and making sure their voices were heard throughout the process.”
Monge added much gratitude for the center allowing her course to coordinate the project and partnering on this addition to the Senior Center. She explained her students would visit the center twice a week over the last 15 weeks and was great experience and community engagement between students and seniors.
“This is our classroom, and I think that’s a beautiful point about what we were trying to do having an intergenerational communal space as a classroom,” Monge said.
Some of the students involved broke down details of the mural and where certain inspirations came from. They explained that learning about recent mural projects in Holyoke, it showcased to students the value of public artwork in local communities.
“[Murals] bring color and novelty into the spaces they embellish, while also bringing people together in the process. They serve as testaments to collaboration and community which are designed to remain present in their location for many years to come,” said Lily, one of the students involved. “We’ve observed the joy of collaboration firsthand in the Senior Center. This project brought college students and older adults together to create something with a lasting impact.”
Portions of the new mural inside the Senior Center. Director of Senior Services Hayley Bolton presents the new mural.
Reminder Publishing photos by Trent Levakis
