“Ultimately, the best way to forge a lasting relationship is to create something together.” -Excerpt from the Social Synapse, by Nora Epinephrine and Sarah Tonin
Intergenerational Collaboration
Family Heirloom Arts Illustration for the Pieretti Family, by Lisa Kagan
One of the most significant aspects of the work that we do at Family Heirloom Arts is to help families and communities strengthen relationships by build bridges across generations. The last few weeks have been rich with intergenerational collaboration. I had the chance to create this sun (shown above) in collaboration with my son and twenty-one other kindergarteners in his class at Lewis Elementary School for their school auction. I facilitated our winter Art of Resilience Retreat at the end of January, bringing together women ranging in age from their thirties to their late seventies to create a space to learn, share and reflect on their personal stories through art and writing. Our clients’ projects continue to engage with multiple dimensions of intergenerational work. From the interviews I am doing with a father and his three adult sons about their reflections on the legacy of their family business, to a book of photo essays that I am helping a woman and her ninety-year-old mother put together based on their family’s experiences of helping to bring Western medicine to Turkey in the 1960s. I am continually amazed at the unique synergy and possibilities that are generated by bringing people together to creating something that no one individual could have created on their own.
If you would like to bring a little of the children’s radiance and creativity into your everyday life, you can order products such as mugs, coasters, and notecards featuring the sun image (shown above) online at: https://www.silvergraphics.com/shop/
Our fundraising access code is 1166179 and proceeds will support Lewis Elementary School. Silvergraphics is a great company to check out if you are engaged in any art-based fundraising efforts.
Starting Your Own Intergenerational Project
Is there a project you would like to collaborate on with members of your own family or community? A few questions to consider:
- In what ways could this project deepen your relationship with the other people involved?
- What complimentary skills, ideas, and perspectives would each of you bring to the process?
- Why would this collaboration enhance or deepen the stories that you want to tell?
Contact Family Heirloom Arts, and we would be happy to help you get started on your own intergenerational project.
Register Now for Our Spring Art & Writing Retreat…
“Lost inside the great swell
we seek our point of equilibrium
sometimes it is the space between
that offers us the greatest gifts.”
– Lisa Kagan
Art of Transformation: Exploring Life Milestones Through Art & Story
Detail from Metamorphosis, Mixed Media by Lisa Kagan
Explore an important life milestone through utilizing drawing, painting, collage and creative writing to create your own narrative images. Discover how the creative process can support you as you navigate an important juncture in your life, or prepare to usher in a time of change. This workshop offers you the opportunity to focus on a turning point that is especially relevant and meaningful for you. Potential topics include: the loss of a loved one, getting married, becoming a parent or grandparent, celebrating a significant anniversary or birthday, moving, changing jobs, and discovering one’s passion and purpose. No previous art or writing experience is necessary.
Location: Family Heirloom Arts Studio, SE Portland (in the Woodstock neighborhood)
“Taking time for myself, reconnecting with the creative process, and finding common ground with other women were highlights for me.”
-Sarah, workshop participant
