Six local artists among Art is Ageless® masterpiece level winners
Six winning artists in Newton Presbyterian Manor’s annual Art is Ageless® juried competition will be featured in the 2024 Art is Ageless calendar produced by PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America®).
“Weathered Windmill,” a Painting by Barbara Gable, “Pigtail,” a Painting entry by Joey Giblin, and “Ready to Go…,” a Painting entry by Connie Rhodes, will appear in the calendar when it is released this fall.
Works by local winners are automatically entered into a masterpiece level competition with winning art from 14 other PMMA® communities. More than 190 entries were received for this year’s masterpiece competition.
“Along the Fence,” a Mixed Media/Crafts entry by Betty Duffy Eller, will be featured on the pull-out postcards included in the 2024 calendar.
“The Crucifixion – at the Cross,” a Sculpture/3-D entry by Gene Eshleman, and “The Matchmaker,” a Painting entry by Joey Giblin, will be included in the calendar’s honorable mention gallery.
“Second Floor Bedroom,” a Painting entry by Velera Adams, “Sunflower and Clouds,” a Drawing by Betty Duffy Eller, and “Boat on the Lakeshore,” a Painting by Rita Patterson, will be featured on Art is Ageless greeting cards.
“We are honored to exhibit artwork by seniors,” said Emily Trask, executive
Art is Ageless® – continued on page 2
New director of nursing brings extensive, wideranging experience to Assisted Living
In June, Newton Presbyterian Manor introduced Jada Koch as its new director of nursing in Assisted Living.
Prior to joining the community, Jada had most recently worked at Salina Regional Medical Center where she held a variety of titles including telemetry technician/specialty technician, cardiac/progressive care unit nurse, COVID unit nurse and endoscopy/procedural nurse.
Jada has also worked as a certified nursing assistant, a certified medical assistant, a pediatric home nurse and an infusion/injection registered nurse.
At home, Jada is married to an active-duty service member and is a mom to two young daughters, Kouver (CO-VER) and Sloan. As a new member of the Newton Presbyterian Manor family, Jada says she is anxious to make personal connections with those she serves and help improve their overall standard of living.
“I look forward to working with this community and hope I can make a positive impact in people’s lives” said Jada. u
Art is Ageless® – continued from page 1 director. “Art is Ageless is unique in featuring only the works of senior artists. Our artists prove that art, in any form, is an ageless ambition.”
To learn more, visit ArtIsAgeless.org. u
Resident Referral Program Reminder
Life is always better when you’re surrounded by friends. If you know of friends who are interested in the lifestyle you enjoy here, providing their names could lead to rewards for both of you!
Please submit names to Emily Trask, our Executive Director. We’ll send your friend or acquaintance information about Newton Presbyterian Manor. Watch your mailbox for more details on our resident referral program and let us know if you have questions.
*Certain restrictions apply.
Captain's Table serves up good food and community insights
Emily Trask, executive director of Newton Presbyterian Manor, hosted a Captain’s Table in July and invited prospects for dinner and conversation. Emily answered questions about senior living and offered information about our community. Special thanks to Pam Beacham, our lovely resident who also attended to provide a resident perspective.
“It was a great evening,” said Emily. “It was a joy to see all of the prospects that knew each other and had connections outside of our community.”
The food was delicious, and everyone had a great time! Guests were sent home with some Newton Presbyterian Manor swag and full bellies.u
‘Reader’s theater’ takes center stage
Early last month, a newly formed group of residents gathered in the community dining room for the first official performance of Newton Presbyterian Manor’s Reader’s Theater Troupe. For those unable to attend the performance, or new to the genre, reader’s theater is a style of theater in which the actors present stories, poems or plays using only scripts and vocal expression.
The group was the brainchild of Dorcas Good, who, along with her husband, Dennis, was drawn to Newton Presbyterian Manor for a little over a year thanks to its emphasis on the arts. A career drama instructor with a master’s in theatre from Cal State Los Angeles, Dorcas had been aware of the concept of reader’s theatre for years and believed it could be the perfect vehicle for the residents of an assisted living community.
“I saw the possibility of a reader’s theater
for seniors. In reader’s theater you can sit and it’s wheelchair friendly,” said Dorcas. “We sit together and we interpret the stories through our voices—it’s just an ideal setting for reader’s theater.” And when it comes to voices, Dorcas believes seniors have a unique gift to share.
“These seniors have years of experience, and they can bring all of that into their voices when they read the stories. That’s why it is so rich to work with them,” said Dorcas.
For its first production, the troupe featured a cast of nine who interpreted the timeless classics, “Casey at the Bat” and “The Little Steam Engine.”
Rehearsals leading up to the performance took place once a week beginning in late April. When the troupe wasn’t rehearsing, they gathered to work on vocal exercises intended to improve articulation.
“These [exercises] are beneficial not only to improve delivery when performing but
in their daily conversation. I think that’s important and one of the values of this— they are training their voices to articulate, which benefits the show but also their daily conversations. It’s just a good reinforcement of our vocal skills,” said Dorcas.
While Dorcas may be the leader of the group, she is quick to point out that Dennis has been a critical part of the team.
“He was involved in setting up the sound, gathering important props…just an allaround participant in the experience,” said Dorcas. “We were a team, and it was much fun working together.”
Dorcas would also like to give a special thank you to June Thompson who she says was invaluable in the formation of our group.
Looking ahead, Dorcas said residents should keep an eye out for a flyer inviting anyone who’s interested in participating in future performances to attend an upcoming informational meeting. u
