Biography

Art for Elderly (A4E) is a volunteer initiative created by McGill & Concordia students that aims to assist the elderly Chinese population in Montreal by providing hands-on visual arts workshops. Since its launch in September 2020 in the midst of Covid-19 confinement, A4E has provided many online art sessions, collaborating with local community organizations, to help to decrease social isolation and promote well-being and community wellness. The team has expanded over the past year and continued to engage with participants toward the betterment of their lives and of the Chinese community as a whole.

Approach and works on display

During the pandemic in 2020, to mitigate social isolation and break language barriers as well as being mindful of neighbourhood social dynamics, Art for Elderly art sessions were hosted online in a safe, welcoming and creative environment where participants made their watercolours. By coming together to participate in online art sessions, both the participants and the members of Art for Elderly felt a sense of community and support. The project hopes to bring salience to the support and visibility of the elderly Chinese population in Montreal by presenting participants’ works as a collective to the public.

Together Online (2020-2021)

Art for Elderly presents a collage of artwork made by the participants of their virtual painting workshops, who are all members of the Montreal Chinese elders community and part of the Art for Elderly collective. Each workshop runs for around one hour and allows for a safe space of creation, discussion, and community. The workshops are themed to the season, special events like Lunar New Year, and in collaboration with other community advocacy initiatives.

Works by the artist