The culmination of the year-long art therapy internships at Friendship Village was celebrated with the retirement community’s 4^th intergenerational Art of Friendship show last month.  The exhibit, which was sponsored by Friendship Senior Options Foundation, featured the work of Friendship Village residents, art therapy interns, and students from several area grade and high schools. 

Chaplain Shawn Kafader of Friendship Village was responsible for overseeing the two art therapy and one mental health counselor interns. The art therapy interns, Jeanna Taylor and Catherine Kelly, are from Adler University and worked more than 700 hours at Friendship Village completing their requirements for their Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) accreditation. 

“We were surprised at how rich the experience at Friendship Village was,” they said. Both were drawn to working with seniors, and after their internships, hope to continue in the field.  All of Friendship Village’s previous art interns have also remained in the senior living industry. 

The artwork of Friendship Village residents, some of whom had worked with the art interns, was exhibited alongside the artistic endeavors of young artists from the Schaumburg Christian Academy, St. Peter Lutheran School, St. Hubert Catholic School and Hoover Math and Science Academy. There was also a community art project featuring colored feathers with personal messages inscribed, created by resident and their families.

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