Design collaboration to fund art in aged care

Based on illustrations by Ms Kramer and brought to life by Ms McLaughlin, the unique creations inspired by poetry and moonlight, are only available online before the collection lands in exclusive fashion boutiques this Spring.

At 101 years old, Ms Kramer is a dancer, choreographer, costume designer, author, sculptor and illustrator, and proud ambassador of the Arts Health Institute.

The Arts Health Institute trains and employs professional artists to work, particularly with elders, on a variety of arts-based programs in health and aged care settings.

Together Ms Kramer and the Arts Health Institute work tirelessly to promote and improve the quality of life through the integration of the arts into all aspects of aged care and health environments.

Access to Express is their latest project, a new cultural experience as part of the Arts Health Institute’s Artists in the House suite, bringing art making and art appreciation to people living in residential aged care.

The program aims to give elders across Australia Access to Express themselves through the beauty and power of visual art and give the experience of living in residential aged care extra meaning, joy and purpose.

“Creativity is what makes the world go around. In engaging in truly creative work, you are releasing the little child within. The child’s view of the world is forever new and young. We all have it within us,” Ms Kramer says.

She worked together with fashion designer Brigid McLaughlin to create the scarves for her latest project.

They met a few years back when Ms Kramer was asked to model the designer’s Summer 2015 Collection, where she presented Ms McLaughlin with a publication of her work.

Ms McLaughlin, renowned for her artistic textiles in natural fabrications, says: “When I saw Eileen’s beautiful collages and illustrations, I instantly saw scarves.”

Her company strives to create ageless and timeless clothing, textiles and homewares through sustainable processes.

“I am inspired not only by Eileen’s timeless beauty but by her style, her grace, and her passion to live life to the fullest.”

Through the sale of the scarves Ms Kramer hopes to raise money to support Arts Health Institute programs that increase quality of life for other ‘people of a certain age’ through artistic expression and cultural experiences like drawing, painting, sculpture and art appreciation.

“Beauty is for everyone. To buy a scarf like this you are bringing beauty into your own lives. If I were a resident in an aged care home I would feel a compelling need for the beauty of art, and music in my life,” Ms Kramer says.

“If you buy my scarves I will be able to raise the money to bring the joy and creativity of art into the lives of thousands of people living in aged care by supporting the Arts Health Institute,“ she adds.

Inspired by the poems of Sappho the scarves feature Ms Kramer’s illustrations ‘And The Moon’, ‘Hesperus the Evening Star’ and ‘She Weeps for Love’.

“I created a book with photographs and drawings about fragments of her [Sappho’s ed.] love life. A scarf after all is a fragment, it isn’t a whole dress.”

“They’re beautiful, you’ll enjoy them, they’ll lift your spirits,” she says about the collection.

“It is one of life’s greatest joys, to have your own creation realised.”

The Brigid McLaughlin Limited Edition Scarf Collection designed by Eileen Kramer, is currently only available online as a crowdfunding project with a target of $12,000.

By buying the scarves through this site, Arts Health Institute receives the difference between the wholesale price and the retail price you would pay in the shop.

Funds raised by the sale of Ms Kramer’s scarves, helps the Arts Health Institute train at least 20 visual artists to have paid work to deliver its new Access to Express program in Australian aged care facilities.