‘Seniors Vision of Bunbury’ art project fostered camaraderie and togetherness among elderly residents

A new art project created by Bunbury seniors is proudly on display, showing the city’s most known locations and fostering a sense of belonging. Dovida, previously known as HomeInstead, last week unveiled their Seniors Vision of Bunbury art project — a collaborative painting by elderly residents who participated in fortnightly art classes which aimed to foster togetherness and camaraderie. Bunbury deputy mayor Tresslyn Smith attended the unveiling and a lunch hosted by the home care provider. Dovida carer and coach Carolynn Jackson started the project in August 2024 as a way of getting clients out of the house and giving them something to do. Together, they created a 2.7 metre long canvas inspired by iconic landmarks around Bunbury. “One of the biggest things was to include them in a gathering where they had a sense of belonging,” Ms Jackson said. “They all look forward to coming now because they’ve made friends. “The average age is 85 so you know, they’re quite elderly, but they absolutely love it.” Ms Jackson said the project was a lot of fun and involved a lot of laughs. “They had a lot of banter doing this artwork, because there’s giant pelicans, there’s giant boats, there’s dolphins jumping out of the water into the hills and there’s sheep with no legs,” she said. “It’s a really special piece of artwork.” Dorothy Hawthorne, 87, said she loved the company which the art classes gave her. “They’re just genuinely nice people,” she said. Ms Hawthorne recalled comforting one of her friends at the classes who had dementia. “When she used to come in, I’d sit and pat her hand and talk to her,” she said. “She realised she was getting dementia and she’d cry. I’d just take her hand and say ‘it’s ok, it’s ok’.” The painting was presented to participants and Dovida staff and is now a fixture on the wall in their Bunbury office.