LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – An intergenerational artistic collaboration took place last month between Lincoln Northeast high school students and seniors living in the Eastmont retirement community.

A few weeks ago, a dozen students met these retirees to get to know them and discover their lives when they were teenagers.

The students then each made personalized pottery based on the seniors’ experiences, which took about a month to complete.

On Friday afternoon, they were able to see the finished products.

Janai Robinson, art teacher in charge of the project, said allowing students to make these kinds of connections builds confidence in their artistic skills and makes a difference to their futures.

Robinson said it also gives teens a chance to create something that isn’t geared toward themselves and create something personalized for someone else.

“Even though our kids go to school, they stay connected to the community,” Robinson said. “We are not separate, we are one. So reaching out to the community is kind of giving back. And they benefit from it by listening to their stories.

Skyler Case, a junior, said the senior he worked with was a fan of jazz music and he focused his artwork on that.

“Everyone loves to enjoy art,” Case said. “Art is a beautiful thing. It’s something you can admire.

After the show, retirees were able to choose the pieces they wanted to keep and install in their living space in Eastmont.

Whatever they don’t keep, students take home.

Robinson said she hopes to restart this project next semester with a new group of students.

“I loved this experience, I love working in the community,” Robinson said. “It was a really big deal off their time, but they were able to finish it and that’s what matters and it shows they care.

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