Winning Artwork Wall Unveiled at Bethany Senior Living in Port Lavaca

PORT LAVACA, Texas - A new art wall was unveiled at Bethany Senior Living in Port Lavaca Wednesday afternoon. Not only was the artwork on full display for the public to enjoy but for the second year in a row, a resident of Bethany Senior Living placed first in a regional competition with 11 other senior living facilities. This included a $1,000 check. Jeanette Metcalf won first place for her watercolors piece titled "Christmas Mouse Reflection in a Christmas Ornament." As she puts it, 'Joy can be a state of mind'.

"He's a little older. He's not a cute little mouse, hat's such a cutie anymore. It's got a few gray hairs. He's on some crutches, and he's got a little sock on one foot. He's looking into the crystal, the ornament, and he's seeing the Christmas spirit that it doesn't matter the condition he's in. There's still joy for him in Christmas," says Metcalf.

Jeanette teaches a weekly art class to other residents at Bethany Senior Living. Thinking, memory, and communication skills are frequently affected in diseases such as Alzheimer's but often do not affect areas of the brain that hold creativity, imagination, and emotions...so the artwork can be a way for residents at Bethany Senior Living to still experience happiness and joy.

Jeanette has been doing artwork all her life and says in teaching others she hopes to instill joy in them, not going for a perfect picture, but to enjoy the process. "But if you do artwork or your children are interested in artwork, teach him the joy, not the finished product, but the journey between the beginning and the end of the painting. And that's the thing is teaching joy and putting joy in people's hearts. And that's what it means to me."

Other winners included Robert Shand and Marjorie Phillips for their artwork. Jeanette said she's using $300 from the winnings to create an art scholarship at Calhoun County High School to hopefully inspire a student to follow their passion for art.

Jeanette says moments like today to be recognized make her feel good, that everybody deserves a little recognition.

"You want to be acknowledged, you know, from from what you do, whether you're a great mechanic, whether your newscaster or whether whatever you are, you want to be acknowledged. And so today was my day. A small time piece in time of my journey. Then I got acknowledged. And I appreciate everybody here that made it possible."

So like Jeanette says, remember to enjoy the process in things and surely the finished product will turn out beautiful.

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