As the pandemic dragged on for months, many individuals were pressed to find new and creative ways to occupy their time and energies. Some found new horizons they had never explored before. Such was the case for 72-year-old Melva Spigner, a resident at CCH’s Sister Thea Bowman community, who discovered a new founds passion for art.
“It came as a surprise to me, that at 72 (years of age), I would be venturing into the amazing field of art,” Melva shared. While she had binge watched corona virus updates on her TV, Melva never allowed herself to consider that she could become one of those statistics. Instead, she got busy. “With that realization, I jumped into action and began to walk,” Melva explains.
During these walks, Melva became more observant of the natural habitat around her and everything took on a new visual experience. “Without being aware, I found myself collecting items and staging them throughout my apartment,” she says.
Along the way, Melva picked up woods, flowers, leaves, branches, magazines and more. Eventually, there were so many unique items that Melva was moved to share her discoveries with others. As she explains, “The items meant something to me and I wanted to share this experience with others.”
Melva spoke with Social Service Coordinator Resh Acharya and described what she’d been doing. Resh sprung to action, arranging logistics and together they organized a showcase in the hallway outside of Melva’s apartment. Similar to a museum, the items were put on display with Melva’s description of her creations under every piece.
The majority of residents from Sister Thea Bowman and Percy Abrams were able to visit the display on October 13 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. “Many residents stopped by and admired her wonderful artwork,” Resh said. “They found a reason to get out of their apartments and shared with me the joy of that simple event.”
In recounting her new found passion, Melva offers these words of advice: “You never know where your path will lead, so enjoy!”
