Wetherby Manor care home residents’ painting on online art gallery

Paintings created by residents from Wetherby Manor care home in Wetherby are showcasing online as part of National Day of Arts in Care Homes today.

Six older people from Anchor’s Wetherby Manor in St James Street were thrilled to be told their artwork had been selected for the online gallery which is focusing on how arts have been used to keep care settings connected during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The residents did a variety of artwork, which was chosen to be featured on Anchor’s and the Art in Care Homes Day websites. Audrey Sheard, Donald Deebank and Patricia Saville did paintings while Joan Dickinson, Malcolm and Meg Mosley worked on embroidery pieces.

Carer Stacie Posgate also joined in the fun with the motifs she designs on trainers being featured in the online exhibition.

Audrey, 95, who used to create oil paintings with her husband, Colin, said: “I feel very proud that my painting of sunflowers in the garden of The Manor House has been selected for the online gallery.

"Colin and I used to attend local art classes working with oil paints and we went to various places to paint the landscapes and things we saw.

“I’ve always loved painting from a young age because I like to be creative and I’ll carry on painting as long as I can.”

Art is so central to the home, that residents and staff had been working on a variety of artwork, including painting stones, for their own exhibition with the conservatory being turned into a walk-through gallery which was officially opened at a Champagne reception on Monday to mark National Day of Arts in Care Homes.

Windows in the conservatory have been blacked out so that visitors can see the photos better and window blinds have been used as paint canvases or to mount the artwork.

The residents joined more than 30 of Anchor’s care homes across England for an art-themed quiz on Zoom so that residents in the homes around the country could compete against each other.

There was also a live Indian dancing demonstration broadcast to the care homes online as part of the day. Residents were encouraged to take part in the chair-based dance exercises run by Bisakha Sarker, Chaturangan’s the artistic director, who was awarded an MBE in 2014 for services to Indian dance. 

Diane Armstrong, Anchor’s Wellness Advisor, said: “We are so happy to take part in the National Day of Arts in Care Homes as it builds on the many creative activities we already organise in our 114 care homes across England. 

“Art is a wonderful way for residents to express their feelings, show off their artistic flare and for others to appreciate the talents of the older people living in our care homes.”

The online gallery of older people’s artwork can be viewed here:

For more information on Wetherby Manor, contact 0800 731 2020.