Last week, we brought some donated paintings to the Mansion to help decorate the walls of the new Memory Care Unit. The staff loved one or two of the paintings so much that they hung one on the main floor outside of the office.

After I wrote about the first donations – we got eight paintings from Sue Silverstein, the art teacher at Bishop Maginn High School – two or three members of the Army Of Good sent me eight or nine more.

Maria and I bought the frames and boards – thanks Army Of Good – and framed the eight, they are hanging in the Memory Center. We plan to frame some more for the walls in the rooms there.

The staff has often pointed out that the paintings on the walls of the Mansion are old and stodgy. They are correct in most cases. So I asked Kassi Garmley, the Mansion Director if we could undertake a six-month to one-year wall art campaign. Over time we’ll raise more money for the frames and boards and turn them over to the Mansion.

Kassi said that would be great, they would love for us to do it.

I see some drab hallways and very old and stodgy paintings downstairs in the main unit. We propose to gradually and slowly frame all of the paintings donated to us – the Bishop Maginn refugees want to do some floral paintings – and the staff will decide what paintings to keep and where the new ones will go.

The cat painting above is the first donated painting to go up on a wall. The artist is from Seattle, I don’t have his or her name yet.

I love the color and cheerfulness of the painting, that’s the note we hope to strike. I believe we have enough paintings in our possession now to undertake this project, and we’ll take our time framing the rest. I imagine this will take us at least to the end of the year, possibly beyond.

This would significantly change the aesthetic and atmosphere of the Mansion downstairs, the building is clean and cozy, but it could definitely use some color and warmth.

This will be a meaningful creative project, and because of the cost, we’ll go slowly. We estimate it would cost another $500 to $700 to frame the photos we have, we’ll raise money one painting at a time. No rush. And we have all the paintings we need, which is something of a miracle. Several artists came through for us without even asking.

(Please don’t send any paintings without checking with me, I think we have enough.)

The staff is excited, so am I. I am fortunate to live with a person who was once a picture framer, and knows how to frame paintings and photographs well but inexpensively.

Thanks for the money to frame the first eight. They look great in the Memory Unit Activity Room, which is dedicated to the Army Of Good.

One blog reader offered to pay the full cost of having one of my photographs framed to bring to the Mansion. I’ll have that by August 5. The photo is called Spring Light. She donated $200, thanks Carolyn.