The Art of Everyday Life

"Art," said Pablo Picasso, "washes from the soul the dust of everyday life." The nearly 500 paintings and other works of art displayed throughout the 22 floors of Charter House enliven its interior and wash away the dust of which Picasso speaks. The responsibility of overseeing this artwork rests with the 12-member Arts and Decorating Committee, which works closely with Charter House administration.

Past committee chairperson Joanne Wayne commented recently that a challenge the group faced was to narrow its focus. "Arts and decorations are such broad categories that we found ourselves trying to take on more than we could handle. It helped tremendously that Donna Ivins, chair from 1999 to 2000, wrote down the committee's purpose and responsibilities and that we evolved into a working committee rather than a decision-making committee."

Today their mission is to see that public areas in Charter House are as pleasing as possible to the residents, while communicating a classical appeal.

Billie Needham, chairperson of the committee since August 2002, notes, "In addition to the paintings hung throughout the building, the committee oversees artwork in display cases in the Lobby (recently showing porcelain art by Marge Bracken), inside the corner cupboard (a collection entitled The Springtime of Life), and on the third floor (a display honoring nurses called Caps to You). The committee also handles fresh flowers gifted to Charter House."

One of the committee's major accomplishments has been to maintain a catalog of the Anne Duncan Somsen Collection of Fine Art Prints, which currently number 280. Over the past four years the committee has regularly conducted art shows in the third floor conference room, displaying themed selections (sea shore and landscapes for example) from the Somsen collection.

One of the committee's near term projects is to create a walking guide to the Archie B. Teater prints that are on display in the subway that joins Charter House and Mayo Clinic. And after that? Since art is of such interest and importance at Charter House, the committee will not run out of things to do.