Phoebe staff members are always looking for ways to engage residents on campus and in the community. Recently, Phoebe Allentown featured a resident art show with works by Violet Dolliver and artists from Phoebe’s resident watercolor group.

Dolliver painted her entire adult life and owned “Violet’s Hobby Shop” in Allentown for 50 years. She still paints in her home at Phoebe, using primarily watercolors.

The idea for the art show began with Eileen Mihocko, Community Life Coordinator for the Legacy Place neighborhood and an artist in her own right. “One of my goals is to enable residents to enjoy favorite leisure pastimes and to help them rediscover their life’s passions,” says Mihocko.

The art show was modeled after receptions in area art galleries and featured live classical piano music, sparkling cider and hors d’oeuvres.

“Creating art has always been a joy for Violet. I wanted to give her the pleasure of sharing that with others by showcasing her talents,” says Mihocko. Some of the artwork from Dolliver dated back 25 years and others were recent paintings.

Mihocko combed area thrift shops to find frames for all of the beautiful art. She also had the idea to combine Dolliver’s works with those of Phoebe Allentown’s Tuesday painting group that has been led for years by volunteer Sally Onopea.

Dolliver looked forward to the show and asked Mihocko about it each time they met. “Doing something like this show takes into consideration the resident’s interests and makes them feel special,” adds Mihocko. “It helps the residents to know that they have purpose and that what they give to the world has meaning.”

Residents from all neighborhoods visited the art show and even those from the memory support neighborhoods expressed that they enjoyed attending the event. “You don’t need to be able to speak or have functional abilities to appreciate the beauty of art,” comments Mihocko. “Art is for the soul.”