Paintings revive memories at Whiddon RiverGum Lodge

Staff and residents with the new paintings l-r: Registered Nurse Anvar Akhmedov, Nurse Assistant Puji Karki, Les Harding, Peter Delaney, Kelly Bruce, Aileen Lavelle, Noelene Stephens, Lois Willoughby, John Keeley, Jenny Greentree, Florrie Wicks and Sally Renshaw. Photos TWH

The walls of River Gum Lodge have come to life with an installation of local artworks from Jen Greentree.

At a celebration at Whiddon’s aged care facility last Wednesday residents and guests gathered to celebrate the installation of four new artworks, all depicting local scenery.

The decision to purchase the paintings came after three outings for residents to the Back O’Bourke Gallery in North Bourke, owned by well-known local artist Jenny Greentree.

“During the visits, the residents loved to share their memories with me,” Jenny said. “Whiddon’s Regional Wellbeing & Lifestyle Manager Kelly Bruce really picked up on the positive vibe. I was thrilled when they made the decision to purchase four artworks.”

Sally Renshaw, Regional General Manager from Whiddon, attended the opening, and said it was important that RiverGum felt like home for the residents.

“We have recently finished a refurbishment program at Whiddon Bourke, and part of the project was to refresh and replace the artwork. It was important to Whiddon that our community of residents felt that this was an extension of their home and their community when deciding on the choice of paintings,” Sally said.

“So, the residents took an outing out to the gallery, and chose paintings that were meaningful to them. And then we worked with Jenny and her husband Steve to have them hung in the home.”

Sally said that choosing the paintings had been a group effort, with equal representation from all residents and that those artworks chosen meant something to a number of people.

Artist, Jennifer Greentree who lives on the banks of the Darling River finds the local landscape provides continual inspiration.

Paintings chosen by residents included ‘Beauty from Ashes’, an image of the black skeletons of the Mugga Ironbark standing strong on the scorched landscape of the Lednapper Nature Reserve following a bush fire. […]

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