Ageless Art
Beacon Hill Residents' ArtPrize Entry
This collaborative art project brings together residents of Beacon Hill at Eastgate, ages 74 to 99, in a shared celebration of creativity. While some have been lifelong artists, many first discovered their hidden talents through the art classes offered at Beacon Hill at Eastgate.
Visit the Monroe Community Church to see the art on display and explore below to find out more about our talented artists.
Location:
Monroe Community Church
1020 Monroe Ave. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Vote code: #97353
Vote for your favorite ARTPRIZE artists online.
hint… hint… Residents of Beacon Hill – #97353
Quiet Grandeur
This drawing was inspired by the profound sense of awe I experienced while hiking through the five national parks of Utah with friends in 2022. Amid the vast landscapes and quiet beauty, one arch in Arches National Park especially moved me—it felt like a sacred window into the magnitude of creation itself.
This piece represents my attempt to capture not just the form of the arch, but the feeling it left with me: reverence, wonder, and connection. Through pencil, I hope to honor the stillness and grandeur of that moment, and to share even a small glimpse of what it felt like to stand beneath it.
I am so grateful to our art instructor, Jennifer Helner, for introducing me to this medium with steady encouragement and enduring patience.
Linda Smith
Age 81
Metal Tangle
I am interested in expressive art, particularly textures. Metal offers that. I enjoy working with metal, it gives me joy to create art forms. My artwork is a sphere that represents the earth. It has hills and valleys, kind of a reflection of my life.
The moon is a source of light that shines on the Earth. It gives me peace.
The wires are rivers and different paths I have taken.
The horse is the wildness that I secretly possess. I like to wonder, explore, and create.
The blue stone represents the sparkle that I have within me. It also makes me smile. I hope it makes you smile, too.
Carol Hagadorn
Age 88
Poppies
I started painting over 45 years ago. At that time, I only painted with oils and acrylics. I had always admired watercolor paintings, hoping that someday I would be able to take a class. After not painting for over 25 years, Beacon Hill at Eastgate, offered watercolor classes. Watercolor is nothing like oils and acrylics. It has been a challenge, but a good challenge.
I chose Poppies because I had painted an oil painting of Poppies and thought it nice to have one in watercolor. It has been worth over 25 years to find watercolor. I have discovered that I hadn’t lost all my talent.
Marian Siegle
Age 83
Yosemite Majesty
As a young child, I was fortunate to visit several of the national parks with my parents, and I have been enchanted by the parks ever since. Naturally, we exposed our own children to many of these natural wonders. We were able to take delight through their eyes as well as our own.
When our kids entered college, my husband and I moved to Southern California, where we remained for seventeen years. We had reasonably easy access to several parks and took full advantage of it. We were usually able to spend a week in Yosemite in late April when the waterfalls were full from spring snow melt, the dogwood was in glorious bloom, and the trails were calling to us! What happy memories!
Mary Monsma
Age 86
One Moment in Time
The beauty of nature provided serenity. Evenings present the reward at the end of the day. Cherishing the moment brings you peace. Thanking God for His gift to us.
Rita Manor
Age 92
Tranquil Landscape
I cannot think of myself as an artist. I have learned much with a long way yet to go.
My gratitude to Jennifer Helner for her knowledge, talent, kindness and encouragement. I am filled with appreciation for the works of others in many forms.
Harlen Gedris
Age 89
My Maisie
I discovered the joy of watercolor painting in the later years of my life. With a delightful artist teacher, I found my creative side. I just had to paint my favorite dog: My Maisie
Marilyn McDonald
Age 82
Happy Heron
I was inspired to create this serene landscape by a photograph of a lovely bird taken in Florida by my classmate, Hope.
I have enjoyed my watercolor classes with Jennifer. Oddly, though, colored pencil was the artform which resonated most in my artistic journey. It takes tedious layering and patience to execute and it is not a commonly recognized medium. My pencil set and the final results bring me joy!
Gretchen Whitford
Age 84
View From a Porch
The sunset from my Lake Michigan porch inspired this watercolor. Over the years I have indulged in many crafts, quilting, needlepoint, stained glass, silver (lost wax) jewelry and oil painting.
I am thoroughly enjoying taking up watercolors in my twilight years. The class led by Jennifer has been a blessing for me. I moved to Beacon Hill from Florida and didn’t know anyone except my children. I now have a wonderful group of friends who share this learning experience with me and each other.
Gerry Reed
Age 99
Silent Waters
Art has been a part of my adult life as long as I can remember. I have had an interest in many forms of art, especially creating stained glass pieces for over 25 years. The last few years I have been introduced to drawing, watercolor painting and charcoal.
As a child, our family has always been around water. For me, it has a peaceful and relaxing feeling watching the ripples moving toward the shoreline.
I have enjoyed working with charcoal as the deep shades pop and draw me into the picture.
Barb Toigo
Age 81
The Mother Duck
Early each spring, the mother duck builds her nest in the flower planter outside our home. She lays her eggs and patiently waits for them to hatch.
My watercolor painting depicts the duck’s excellent camouflage among the vibrant spring flowers, illustrating the ongoing cycle of wildlife and plants-the beginning of another spring.
Joan Solberg
Age 83
Presque Isle
The watercolor painting I chose is a rendering of a photo sent to me by my Marquette granddaughter, Kayleigh. It is Lake Superior on a winter’s day. What watercolor class means to me:
After a traumatic four months with multiple family losses, my friend Gretchen urged me to try watercolor class at Beacon Hill. I finally agreed to go once since I had never had any kind of art class before. After nearly two years, I am totally hooked. Art class is now the highlight of my week. I so enjoy the sense of community, the crazy stories and the feeling of accomplishment. My apartment is now filled with my artwork. Joy, bliss, an unexpected life enrichment.
Nancy Smith
Age 83
Primeval Forest
I began drawing at age 5 when I drew Disney characters. Jennifer, our drawing instructor, has given me a renewed appreciation for drawing at age 95.
I used Sennelier sanded pastel paper. I wet it and then added pastel, moving it around with brushes and fingers to get the effect of a primeval forest. I don’t expect people to understand my work, but I hope they can appreciate what I was experimenting with in a new manner.
Anita Carter
Age 95
Collections
Blues and greens have always been my favorite colors. For sixty years I collected art glass pieces in these colors to display in my home.
Oceans also abound with multiple hues of blues and greens. An under the sea collage was an obvious choice to allow me to mix a variety of my favorite colors with items I have collected from various arts and crafts projects. As my art glass collection combined a variety of shapes and textures, my seascape has done the same. What fun it was to combine and glue these saved items together on cardboard to create a scenic underwater collage.
Marcia Baker
Age 83
Water Wonderland
I was born in Michigan and have lived here my whole life. Some of my best, most vivid memories involve water and sand. Day trips to Grand Haven, Senior Skip Day and vacations in the Upper Peninsula all were special because of the unique Michigan landscape. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such natural beauty. This view is from Empire, Michigan looking north toward the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.
Betty Neary
Age 82
He Said YES
Nauset Light, built in 1828 along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Cape Cod, MA, is the beach where I decided to propose to my new boyfriend, handsome US Marine Roger Chutter!! It was a perfect sunny and breezy day at Nauset Light National Lighthouse Shore….the breath-taking surf was depositing driftwood, shells, and seaweed treasures to snatch up! Roger and I were on our 4th date. My friend, David, had set Rog and me up on a blind date in June ’62, and now it was late July, just 1 ½ months later. As we walked on the beautiful beach, I suddenly raced ahead of him to quickly write in the sand the message: “Will you marry me?” And thus started our journey of 64 years together so far.
As for me, Kären Chutter, the “artist”, when I first started coming to the watercolor classes at Beacon Hill offered by Jennifer Helner, I never knew my brain, so focused on science during my 50 years as a Physical Therapist, had even one cell of artistic ability. But as I dipped my paint brush into water and paint and put the brush to paper, it was quite a revelation to me that indeed the right side of my brain, where creativity and inutility reside, DID work and was waiting for an outlet to show off!!
Through the wise, loving, and yes, comedic instruction given by Jennifer, and spending Tuesday afternoons with her and my wonderful class of like-minded and talented artist friends, the joy of painting has blossomed in my heart. Much as Nauset Light has boldly and continuously continued to guide and shine for 187 years, this watercolor is humbly presented as a testament to endurance…and love!
Kären Chutter
Age 83
Home
I was privileged to grow up in the Adirondack Mountains in the house that my great-grandfather built. My siblings and cousins roamed much of the 150 acres of meadows, streams and ponds. This mini quilt is my expression of two of my favorites, mountain views and birch trees. The snowy slope was our sledding hill that brought a lot of fun to winter.
My mother put a needle, thread and cloth in my hands when I was about 5 years old to keep me quiet. I even had to design my own art pieces. That was not too surprising though. I come from 3 generations of quilters. This piece was created with printed fabric. It is machine and hand quilted, then mounted on foam core.
Hope Bradley
Age 74
Afternoon Tea
My favorite time of day is afternoon tea.
I have always loved all kinds of art. I have drawn and painted since I was a little girl. My passion for art is very satisfied with the classes offered at Beacon Hill. Drawing, watercolor and craft workshops are very special and something I always look forward to.
Ginny Orban
Age 87
Peace
Since childhood, nature has been a sense of joy and occasional fear of its strength and destruction. Nature is a source of inspiration, and I find the beauty of growth in both plant and animal life in all its living forms. Constant change in nature, from natural to manmade, is shaping our world. A new world is born, new images and a new, unique view for all of us to enjoy.
Jean Springer
Age 95
Flying High
Woodworking began, I would guess about 75 years ago, with stick model airplanes and grew into go-karts. Two 20-foot towers made from 6” Dia trees with platforms at 12 feet and topped at 20 feet provided for a rope bridge between towers when I was 15 years old. My workshop in my retirement years has provided an avenue to make furniture for the family. About 90 projects, mostly furniture, have been recorded as I included recognizing the birth of our children, grandchildren, and more recently, our great-grandchildren.
Bruce MacDonald
Age 86
About the Instructor - Jennifer Helner
Jennifer is an art instructor in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she teaches watercolor, drawing, pastels, creative hand lettering, and traditional calligraphy and offers workshops on matting and custom framing at her studio, Scripted Expressions, and at various art centers in Michigan. She passionately instructs special needs children and adults with Artists Creating Together (ACT), a West Michigan non-profit. In addition, you will find Jennifer sharing her love for art with a warm smile at various retirement communities in the Grand Rapids area.
Beacon Hill at Eastgate is a distinctive, not-for-profit retirement community located in Grand Rapids’ Eastgate neighborhood. Our diverse community of residents, staff, and guests are welcomed into a gracious space of connection and care. Our unsurpassed amenities, world-class cuisine, beautifully appointed interiors, and state-of-the-art facilities help us deliver a new standard in senior living.
