Never Too Old to Learn

Hedda von Goeben with Students in Ceramic Lab

This summer we saw a unique example of the application of the value expressed in this quote from a past Kendal Corporation  annual report, "The Kendal idea fosters the integration of continuing learning in all aspects of community life and work for residents, staff, and board members."  One way through which Kendal communities work to fulfill this value is to form links with local educational facilities.  This particular Kendal has been linked closely with Denison University in Granville since its inception.  Many of our residents are Denison graduates and some taught or worked there in other capacities.  Many of the speakers who provide programs for us are Denison faculty members.  Their art department has provided student art for shows in our Art Gallery.

Denison offers a Community Scholars program which grants persons 30 years of age or older the privilege of taking one course per semester as an auditor for a nominal fee.   Various residents have taken advantage of this program from time to time in the six years since Kendal at Granville opened.  What we saw happen this summer involves  one of those persons in particular, Hedda von Goeben.   The availability of the Community Scholars program was one of the reasons she chose to move here from her home in Connecticut.  Hedda came here with a lifelong love of art which over the years had developed into an extensive knowledge and understanding of a wide variety of art forms.   As soon as she moved here in the summer of 2005 she registered at Denison for any class in the art department with an opening for a Community Scholar.  She began with sculpture, then went into a class for life drawing, followed by a year of printmaking and painting and finally after waiting four years an opening appeared in her favorite - a ceramics class! 

In September 2010  upon the occasion of a show in entitled "One Thing Led to Another" in the Bryant Art  at Denison she wrote, "One thing has led to another and I have already registed for my eleventh semester in the Denison art department."   Residents here who were familiar with her work admired her creations and were therefore delighted to learn that this summer something new and different would be offered through the Denison art department.  Hedda would be given the opportunity to lead a class for fellow residents during the summer when students were off campus.  Thus the student became the teacher.

The class filled quickly with ten persons, all new to the study of ceramics with the exception of one who told me she had not done any work with ceramics for fifty years.  The class met from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for ten days.  One of the class members commented to me that they had a "wonderful time working together and getting to know each other better".  An exhibit of their works with a reception was held on the last day of class.  Everyone who came from the exhibit told the rest of us who couldn't make it that their creations were fabulous.

Fortunately, as the person responsible for our display cabinet I was able to get them to share their creations with us for the month of September.  I have also learned that they are looking forward to repeating their experience once again in January when the Denison students are again off campus. Obviously we are never too old to learn.  See samples of displays from original exhibit below.