2009-12-09
Local Senior’s Artwork Chosen for National Calendar
Contact:
Nina Gordon
Engage Life Director
Sterling Glen of Roslyn
516.484.7689
Atria Senior Living 2010 Engage Life® Calendar features resident creations
December 9, 2009, Roslyn, N.Y. --- Local resident Shirley Friedlander had an off and on relationship with painting while growing up. After a long hiatus, she picked up her brushes again as an adult and painted a piece that will be soon enjoyed by thousands of people across the county.
The Sterling Glen of Roslyn resident’s colorful outdoor scene, inspired by the gardens of the Nassau County Museum of Art, was chosen to accompany the month of March in Atria Senior Living’s 2010 Engage Life calendar. Over 20,000 calendars have been printed to share with residents, families, staff and friends of the 126 independent and assisted living communities in 27 states.
Born in Manhattan in 1917, Friedlander loved drawing as a child. When she reached high school, the technicality of her art classes caused her to lose interest.
After receiving degrees from Hunter College and Columbia University, Friedlander began her career as the children’s librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. She moved to the Richmond Hill High School where she worked for ten years followed by fifteen years at Benjamin Cardozo High School, where she eventually retired.
A retired Friedlander began taking painting night classes at Queensborough Community College after seeing an adult education bulletin. Teacher and local artist Paul Wood inspired her so much in her Painting 101 class that art became a very important part of her life from that point forward.
“Creating art has been a very special and wonderful part of my life,” said Friedlander.
When asked what her paintings mean to her, she said, “In a word - joy.”
Creative expression is one component of Atria’s Engage Life whole person programming offered weekly in each community. Friedlander’s painting and other resident creations featured in Atria’s Engage Life 2010 calendar can be viewed at http://www.atriaseniorliving.com/engage_life.aspx.