A meeting of hearts and minds at the Madison Valley Manor

Valentine’s Day is a day of connections and this year the Ennis Arts Association (EAA) provided that connection across the generations when they brought local 4H students together with residents of the Madison Valley Manor to create special gifts for each other to commemorate the day. 

The event included Kent Porterfield, an internationally recognized glass artist with a studio in Ennis, who developed a project that allowed the manor residents to work together with the 4H students to create art pieces that he would take back to his studio and fire in the kiln. 

“My favorite takeaway is the pride the residents each had in their completed artwork,” said EAA president Louise Stevens. “Everyone's finished product was unique and different, and really personal. The residents I worked with gave a lot of thought to their artwork and were so pleased with the outcome. I loved watching the kids work with the residents.  Everyone became talkative and happy.”  

Chelsea Mahsman is credited with the idea of bringing the 4H students to this year’s event. It’s the latest in a collection of intergenerational events that the EAA has put together at the Manor. 

“It is something the residents really enjoy and the kids get a lot out of it as well, learning to work side by side with the elderly,” said Stevens. 

“The most meaningful thing to me is watching the interaction between the two age groups.  Some of the residents do not have grandkids nearby, and not all youngsters have a grandparent to visit so it is so great to put the two groups together,” said EAA programs chair Barbara Gillispie. 

The EAA is most visible in the community as the organizing body for the Madison Valley Arts Festival which is scheduled for July 25 this year. They also provide scholarships to high school seniors pursuing higher education in the arts and host an Art in the Garden Tour. More information about the EAA is available at www.ennisarts.org.