Art Class offered at Senior Center

DAYTON–Is your "inner artist" wanting to find a way to express himself or herself?

A class being offered at the Columbia County Senior Center is just the thing.

Monthly art classes are now being offered at the Senior Center, courtesy of the Friends of the Library. The sessions are on the third Wednesday of every month, from 10 a.m. until noon.

"It's a hoot," says program leader Lorna Barth. "The Friends of the Library is looking for different ways to support library programs and community programs that don't necessarily involve books and reading."

Although the program is held in the Senior Center, it's not exclusively for retirees or senior citizens.

"Everybody's welcome to join in," Barth said. There are signs promoting the art classes posted in the Senior Center and in the Dayton Memorial Library, and Barth is hopeful more people will choose

The Friends opted to initiate the program and supply all of the necessary materials-paint, brushes, etc.-for the 12-month program, which began in March.

That month, those who joined in painted eggs (in advance of Easter) that nested one in another.

April's project is acrylic pours, Barth said. "They had a lot of fun," she said. "You blow through a straw and push the paint around."

The May project will have participants painting shopping bags.

"We're experimenting with different mediums," Barth said.

When the project pieces are finished, they are displayed in the Senior Center.

Grant funding to the Friends of the Library was from the Inatai Foundation (formerly Group Health Foundation), Barth said. The Friends board chose to provide funding for the entire year and will review and assess next year to decide whether to continue.

Barth leads the program and credits her lifelong love of painting for her passion to lead the classes. "I've been painting all my life," Barth said.