Dorchester’s Boston Home (BH), the specialized Residence and Center for Care for adults with advanced progressive neurological disease, primarily Multiple Sclerosis, will hold its yearly community fundraiser for its watercolor class program on Friday. Located on the corner of Dot Ave. and Gallivan Blvd, the BH is the only facility of its kind in New England.
The eighth annual “At Home with the Arts Soirée” will feature a wine reception with live jazz in the garden gallery on Friday, June 10 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. An exhibition of art by residents and select professional artists (including Lower Mills neighbor Vincent Crotty) will be on display, and all art will be available for sale with all of the proceeds supporting the resident arts’ program.
Dorchester Arts Collaborative member Susan Krause teaches watercolor classes to more than 30 residents four times a week as part of the Boston Home’s extensive Resident Life programs. The artists’ physical challenges can include hand tremors, muscle paralysis, and difficulty seeing and difficulty speaking audibly. Staff members—including occupational therapists and an assistive technology specialist—create the custom tools and approaches that allow the artists to express their individual visions through painting.
“The arts are pivotal to the quality of life for our residents,” said Marva Serotkin, the Boston Home’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The support from the community helps ensure that residents and day program participants at The Boston Home will continue to benefit from the sustaining power of making art. Painting a watercolor is technically challenging for our residents. They paint with a special adaptive equipment ranging from a mouth brush to a brace to steady the hand. Our artists are delighted to exhibit their work to the public at this event and at Dorchester Open Studios each October.”
The enthusiasm of class participants affirms Serotkin’s assessment.
“I love it,” says resident Jane Hildenberger. “It opens up my creativity and it makes me feel as if I have a purpose. I love to paint and I’m so grateful to be able to be painting here.”
This week a plaque honoring Michelle Hurley, another BH watercolorist, will be dedicated in the garden in recognition of an anonymous donation of $250,000 to the Boston Home in her name. Hurley requested that part of the money, the largest non-legacy gift in the facility’s history, be allocated to the upkeep of the garden, which provides the inspiration of most of the residents’ paintings, and to Boston Home’s “Happening at Home” programming, which in addition to the watercolor classes includes creative writing classes and visits by a variety of musical performers.
Tickets for the Arts Soirée are $30 and available at thebostonhome.org or by calling Florence Rawls at 617-326-4310. As with all events at The Boston Home, the Soirée will be wheelchair accessible.
