BYRON BAY OLDIES PIMP THEIR RIDE
AGED CARE RESIDENTS TRY THEIR HAND AT GRAFFITI
WHEN you’re approaching a century in age ain’t nobody got time for a lame ride.
A group of grannies from a Byron Bay aged care facility have called on the help of graffiti artists to pimp their minibus.
The Feros Care residents, aged 80 to 97, spent three weeks working with street artist David McElvenny, aka Teazer, to come up with the final design which now adorns their Toyota Commuta van.
About 30 residents took part in the project and even filmed a YouTube video of their exploits complete with breakdancing.
Jilli Richardson, 97, said Teazer and his street artist mates were a very enthusiastic bunch who taught her a lot about graffiti.
“They fitted in pretty well with our group even though we are pretty ancient,” Ms Richardson said.
“I believe this graffiti is a particular art which demands a particular understanding. Our message was gentle and not by any means vulgar or harsh.
“They set us up around huge tables with lashings of paint to come up with ideas and we just went for it.
“When it came to painting the bus they taped off portions just in case we went too wild.”
Teazer said he was impressed by the enthusiasm of the residents who have dubbed themselves the Feros Grow Bold Crewstars.
He said the artwork was inspired by the geographic lines of Byron incorporated with some imagery created by the residents.
“They were all so creative and showing hidden talents. Some of them were amazing artists who hadn’t painted in 10 years but this just sparked their interest again,” Teazer said.
“They were busting out these landscapes and Picassostyle portraits of each other.
“I became really good friends with them all and ended up having a dance with them at the launch. I never knew growing older could be so much fun.”
Feros Care CEO Jenenne Buckley couldn’t believe the creativity that was unleashed in the sessions.
“One group of residents even rolled up to the workshops blasting The Beastie Boys,” Ms Buckley said. “This just shows the energy they have for exploring new horizons, challenging themselves and showing that seniors still rock.”
The residents have been spotted cruising around the region in their new set of wheels including on a recent outing to the Tweed Regional Gallery to no doubt see how their work shaped up to the exhibiting artists.