Viktoria Kordas
English 101
Holly Pappas
November 27, 2018
Art and emotion flow by the river.
Early morning drivers pull up to South Coast landing located near Bicentennial Park and the Taunton Riverside. The staff drivers begin to pull up some in vans and some in larger vehicles, some of them as large as box trucks. Painted on the side of every vehicle is the logo for Community Connections. It’s the kind of place for people that fall through the cracks of traditional, institutional style education and work skill development. Community Connections is a day habilitation program for adults with intellectual and/or physical challenges. There are numerous Community Connections in several locations surrounding Fall River. Community Connections in Swansea, for example, is strictly for people of age sixty and over, while the Hartwell street location in Fall River is best for younger people who are active and willing to participate in the community. Our particular location is geared toward medically complicated adults and young adults who are not well suited to travel around the community. Due to physical, emotional or debilitating problems accommodations are necessary for continued progress and self improvement.
The drivers wear reflective jackets but underneath they wear casual clothing that often has interesting or amusing decals that are noticed and appreciated by the clients. The drivers expertly handle the devices on the transport vehicles. These vehicles allow safe and careful transition for clients. Drivers while organizing plans for getting clients in and out of the building safely employ the use of airlifts. Use of adaptive equipment to transport clients in wheelchairs or on stretchers is expertly employed as staff are very familiar and communicative with clients. I have noticed the reassuring hand on the shoulder and thoughtful positive affirmations; “Well done!” “Good job!” or “Did you see the game last night?” I have observed that every staff member seems to go out of their way to greet and make eye contact with every client. Some clients respond verbally with their own greeting, while others make it clear that they are happy to be acknowledged and welcomed through verbal utterances and gestures such as waves or hugs. The easy rapport is unmistakable. Observing the general manner of the staff who work inside the building, puts one at ease when I see the clients’ reactions with friendly smiles and high fives.
When you enter the building, big, glass, double doors automatically open. There’s wall to wall art crafted by the clients, and vaulted ceilings as you walk down the hall. My favorite client project was easily the alphabet. Arranged at the top molding of the drop ceiling were wooden planks about the size of a magazine in various colors. The letter “A” was done in pink with a myriad of tiny pink objects such as flowers, shells, animals, colored glass, fruits and feathers. They were positively pink and expertly arranged so the eye could see each individual miniature treasure. The blue letter “B” similarly endowed with artful minutia. From the distance they look like solid letters, closer inspection reveals incredible complexity not unlike the clients themselves. And so the alphabet continues each as letter is as entertaining as the last. The art represents togetherness and friendship shared by the clients and the employees. We met Tina, who is nonverbal and young. She likes to wear clothes that have Minnie Mouse on them, so she has decided to use Bingo daubers to create a polka dot universe. “She loves the dots on Minnie’s bow!” Carol a staff member, mentions to us as we pass by that Tina makes her wants and needs known by using sign language.
On either side of the hallway there are a series of rooms. The top half of the walls are painted teal and there are shiny, wood floors. Large exposed beams cross from one side of the hallway to the other, making the highest peak of the ceiling easy to see. Depending where you are the flooring changes. The kitchen has raised rubbery skid proof flooring, and the music and game room have almost foamy floor covering to reduce injury from possible falls. In every room you walk in there’s corresponding visual themes. Such as the man on the moon in the space room offsetting the planets and the treadmill that walks you towards Mars. In the music room there are instruments hanging from the beams mobile style; I saw maracas, tambourines, electronic drums, and eggs that make noise when you shake them. Brick walls surround the room and shelves keep the laptops and tablets secure but accessible. A desktop computer is surrounding by shelves holding several music CD’s, hand held electronic toys and hand held instruments. The game room has a bright orange floor, bean bag chairs and low tables so everyone can sit around and play board games.
The reason I go to Community Connections is because my sister goes there, her name is Dory. They have pet therapy! The pet that day was a cute, little brown bunny named Missy. She held the bunny close to her face, kept giving her little kisses and saying “I love you sooo much!” This seems like a physical manifestation of the same kind of wonder and joy that Dory experiences when we look at Van Gogh and I experience the same joy. I believe color can affect your mood and physical sense of yourself.
Another client named Lois had a different reaction to the bunny. She wouldn’t stop crying and kept screaming “Get it away from me!” The staff suggested she leave the room a couple of times but she didn’t want to leave. She kept crying and complaining about the rabbit. The reactions of others were mixed, most of the clients ignored her completely. The others either laughed or told her to “shut up!” Another client named Jeffrey suggested that “Rabbits are good eating!” Which lead to more screaming, Lois crying even more and people freaking out. Mostly it didn’t seem to matter that she was screaming, after all Lois tends to cry if someone smiles at her. Everyone went on to say how cute Dory and the rabbit were together. Most clients were engaged and amused but not everyone chose to hold the rabbit. They’d rather watch Dory interact with the rabbit than interact with it themselves.There is a huge diversity in that group in terms of age, ethnicity and medical conditions. I have noticed that my sister and I both enjoy looking at art by Van Gogh. When I look at Starry Night it evokes melancholy yet hope because the stars are so bright. The blue is deep and mesmerizing and magical. Van Gogh’s sunflowers make me sad even though it has the brightest, beautiful yellow because the flowers seem to be dying. Dory enjoys looking at these paintings as well and has Starry Night hanging in her room. It is clear to me that art has an emotional effect on her in a good way.
What if this were reality TV? Would people see hand flapping, screaming, seemingly inappropriate crying and physical impairments as common forms of expression? Detailed murals and art projects created by the clients symbolize togetherness aesthetically as every different hand adds a piece of that vision and produces a perfect piece? The murals are an homage in every color of a perfect peace.