Northeast students connect with retirees through pottery project

October 28, 2024

Northeast High School students are connecting pieces of the past, present and future through a pottery project with Eastmont Retirement Community residents.
 
Members of Janai Robinson-Makarov’s Pottery 1 class are sharing stories of retirees through an intergenerational art assignment. They will spend the next four weeks creating personalized art for the residents. The pottery pieces will reflect imagery of their teenage lives from 50, 60, 70 or 80 years ago.


 
Northeast student Taegen said the project has been meaningful for her. She felt everyone in the class learned a lot from listening to the local residents. They also enjoyed receiving art from senior citizens during their initial visit to Eastmont.
 
“One thing that made me enjoy the time I spent with the Eastmont residents was how kind they were,” Taegen said. “I did only talk to two of them, but I could tell they were all very kind and that it was a good community there. I also liked how they got to make some of their own art pieces by carving whatever they wanted into a piece of clay as a coaster for us!”


 
Mario said he had a similar experience. He spoke to a resident who told him about her time in high school. He was interested to hear about the different types of transportation and academic classes that were available back then.
 
“I enjoyed listening to the story that the lady told me,” Mario said. “It was interesting and the atmosphere was good.”
 
Robinson-Makarov teaches pottery, drawing and art classes at Northeast. She said her Pottery 1 students are gaining a newfound appreciation for the power of personal history. The project teaches them the answer to a simple question: If the roles were reversed, how would they want someone else to share their story?
 
“I want them to comprehend the importance of managing and taking responsibility for someone else,” Robinson-Makarov said. “They must learn to care for someone’s story and derive meaning from it. I want them to recognize the value and significance of their actions.”


 
LPS Visual Art Curriculum Specialist Lorinda Rice said she believes this is the first intergenerational art project of this scale to take place at LPS. 
 
The Rockets will showcase their finished pieces in an art show at Eastmont from 2-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15. Eastmont residents will congratulate them on their work during the show.
 
Rice felt the conversations between students and seniors have allowed both generations to share stories, learn from each other and feel a sense of value.
 
“In today’s society, where social media dominates as the main form of connection, many people are feeling a diminished sense of belonging,” Rice said. “This project gives youth the chance to practice social skills, actively listen and identify important insights from the stories shared by elders. The residents enjoy engaging with others, have valuable stories to share and want students to see the many possibilities their future holds. It’s a win-win!”


 
Robinson-Makarov seized the opportunity to participate after Rice e-mailed about the chance to be involved in the art project. She chose the pottery class after watching “their exceptional attention to detail” during the first three weeks of school. She felt they had both the artistic and social skills to make the plan come to life.
 
Robinson-Makarov spoke to Eastmont representatives and toured a community space inside the building. She said it became clear that the pottery pieces would be valuable additions to the area.
 
“I was determined to continue this art tradition and provide the seniors with the chance to contribute their memories and stories to the building with the assistance of my Pottery 1 students,” Robinson-Makarov said.


 
Taegen, Mario and their classmates interviewed residents in September to learn more about their personal histories. They talked about their childhood experiences, what they learned at school and where they lived and worked as adults. Students will base their pottery pieces on the stories they listened to during the visit.
 
Taegen said the project has helped the Rockets form positive relationships with people who were in their seats many decades ago. She said it also provides a wide range of artistic benefits to everyone in the class.


 
“I feel this project will help me grow into being a better artist and better at pottery,” Taegen said. “It will help me learn more about clay, since this is my first time actually taking clay seriously instead of just making random, small things as I did when I was a kid.”
 
Robinson-Makarov said it was inspiring to watch students and residents share happy expressions with each other. She said those smiles showed how important it is for everyone to connect the past, present and future with the pottery projects.
 
“This joy also signifies that students, irrespective of their backgrounds, aspire to pursue meaningful endeavors in their busy lives,” Robinson-Makarov said.
 
To learn more about the school district’s art curriculum, visit our website at https://home.lps.org/art/. 
 
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Published: October 28, 2024, Updated: October 28, 2024

Northeast High School students and Eastmont Retirement Community residents are working together on an intergenerational art project this semester. The Rockets interviewed each resident and will complete personalized pottery projects that share their life story. The residents gave each high school student a piece of art during their initial visit.