HELP FUND THIS IMPORTANT SCHOLARSHIP



Copies of Hilgos paintings & sculptures are available for sale. Tax deductible contributions to the work of the foundation are welcome. Donations may be made payable to:


The Hilgos Foundation
406 Woodland Road
Highland Park, IL  60035

  
The Hilgos Award provides student funding at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to support and encourage the ongoing process of artistic creation with elderly people. The award was established by family and friends in memory of the artist Hilgos, who studied at the Chicago Art Institute as a young woman, graduated in the 1920s, and became a well respected painter and sculptor, specializing in marine themes. Hilgos painted well into her 90's. She returned to painting with several Art Institute students even after suffering memory loss, which almost forced her to stop painting. An award has been created in her spirit and memory at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

 

 

HILGOS AWARD RECIPIENTS

  
 

GAUTAM WADHWA was responsible for the original HILGOS website. Gautam also worked as a designer in a community outreach project for elderly artisans in India.

 
 


LAURA EVONNE STEINMAN received a Master of Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with a concentration in community arts. The Hilgos Award provided her the opportunity to work with a diverse group of elderly residents at the Copernicus Center in Chicago, IL. Laura helped the residents to draw, paint, make collages, and create books based on their personal histories. The artist-residents were able to reflect on their lives and to share their experiences in an intergenerational setting.

 
 


SERENA WORTHINGTON used the Hilgos Award to serve as an intern at the Lieberman Geriatric Center in Skokie, IL. There she facilitated the "My Story" project, a book-making program for elderly people with Alzheimer's disease. Serena's project afforded the resident-artists an opportunity to become acquainted with one another, to design, write, and layout their books and to record their autobiographies.

 
 


ANNE HOLLENBECK received a Master of Arts degree in art education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Hilgos Award provided her the opportunity to work at the City of Chicago's Department of Aging's Renaissance Court, where she developed and taught a class in collage. She also produced a booklet entitled "Legacy of Wisdom", which is a collection of memoirs written by the elderly residents of Renaissance Court.

 
 


MARA PELECIS received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, focusing on sculpture installation and documentary media. The Hilgos Award enabled Mara to work with a small group of Latvian-American senior citizens who spent many hours reminiscing and documenting their life stories on video. Subsequently, Mara received a Fulbright Fellowship which allowed her to travel to Riga, Latvia and to work on documentary videos.

 
 


ALEXIS LONDON used her Hilgos Award to work at the Resurrection Retirement Community in Chicago, IL, where she coordinated a collage workshop series for elderly residents entitled "Wednesdays With Alexis." Alexis worked with two senior citizens named Jerry and Fran. Their work was well received and culminated in an exhibition at the Center. In addition, Alexis conducted a shadow box class and she, Jerry and Fran remain good friends.

 
 


SUNNY GIVENS worked on a project entitled "Memory Making: Sharing Life Stories through Art" at the Villa Guadalupe Senior Apartments.

 
 


ELLEN TRITSCHEL worked with senior citizens at the Washington and Jane Smith Home and the Beverly Branch Library. Ellen was awarded a second year scholarship to continue her work.

 
 


ANGELA BURKHARDT completed a project that encompassed a fieldwork assignment at the Alternative Adult Day Service of Highland Park Hospital which included Alzheimer's patients ranging in age from 50 - 100 years. The center emphasizes activites that encourage socialization, memory skills and rehearsal of self-expression.

 
 


TAKEO NAGASAKA worked on a project at Norwood Park Home.

 
 


CAROLYN HOERDMANN worked on a project at St. Clara's Manor.