How the Kennedy Center’s REACH reached residents of Forest Hills of DC Senior Living

by Marlene Berlin

The new REACH arts and performance space at the Kennedy Center is aptly named. Its reach recently extended to staff and residents of Forest Hills of DC Senior Living and Forest Side Memory Care.

On September 11th, they took part in Scrollathon, a participatory art project that’s the brain child of artists and brothers Steven and William Ladd.

The brothers Ladd: Matt, and Scrollathon creators William and Steven

The Ladd brothers have been leading Scrollathon events since 2006, and the final results now hang at art museums, a stadium, and even a prison.

For The REACH at Kennedy Center project, more than a thousand participants throughout the DC community have created thousands of tightly rolled textile “scrolls.”

Some of the Scrollathon materials.
The finished scrolls are placed in a frame. Several of these frames will comprise the finished work.

Steven and William Ladd took a photograph of each participant and the finished scroll work. The photographs will be included in a pamphlet to be presented in a few months to each participant by the Kennedy Center. And, their work will be included in a permanent art installation at the REACH facility.

Steven and Matt Ladd help participants.
Forest Hills of DC staff: Wanda Mitchell, RN; Deanna Godfrey, RN; Officer Ronika Fletcher; Mary Savoy, RN and administrator; Nina Lewis, finance manager
Marianna Blagburn (center), the program director at Forest Side, helps participants

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