MYVISTA in the community.
Each year, MYVISTA holds an art competition for the students from local primary schools. Participants enter a piece of artwork in any form that is inspired by the culture of their grandparents or other special older person in their life.
All entries are judged by esteemed local artists and MYVISTA CEO Irene Mooney, with first, second, third and fourth prizes. The winning primary student will also win $100 for their school.
Irene said the competition encourages school children to connect with their grandparents and other significant older people in their lives and talk with them about aspects of their culture.
“We have suggested some questions students could ask their grandparents or other older people like; how did their family celebrate special occasions when they were younger or what sort of music was played in their family?” explained Irene.
“Our multicultural identity is an important part of who we are as an organisation, both in terms of the people we care for and our workforce of around 250 people. The areas in which our facilities we are situated – Balcatta and Mirrabooka – are also home to people of many different nationalities
MYVISTA’s motto is ‘our heritage in harmony’ and with the art competition the aged care provider is aiming to connect with the broader community in which it operates.
“We recently surveyed our staff and discovered that between them all around 40 different languages are spoken,” Irene said.
Choosing art as the means to achieve this goal is a carefully considered choice by MYVISTA as it echoes the organisation’s focus on visual art as way to enhance the residents’ living environment.