On Wednesday we had our last session of the Caretaker Art Group, which focused on wrapping up the group and reflecting on the learning we had done over the six weeks. We started the session reflecting on the past activities and themes we had explored. I taped up member artwork from the previous weeks on the walls of our meeting room and to serve as a “gallery” of the art created by the group. Seeing all the various art activities from the past 6 sessions displayed together this way, members began to point out connections between art pieces.
We then transitioned into the art-making time for the session. I passed out square mixed-media paper and spread out various art-making materials on the table. We then spent time creating an artistic response to the time spent in group over the weeks. I emphasized that there was no real prompt to this activity, but rather to be intuitive with their art-making and allow themselves to freely respond to their experience. I suggested that perhaps a word or theme had struck them as they reviewed their previous artwork displayed. Perhaps they were drawn to a color pattern, repeated symbol, or particular material? After we spent some time creating in this way and people finished their squares, I began to tie them together with yarn to create a “group quilt”.
Once everyone’s square was tied to the quilt, we spent some time reflecting on what it meant to see our artwork tied to one another’s artwork. One member said that she felt it symbolized family; another commented that it reminded her that we can lean on one another for support. The purpose of this art group has been to build self-care practices for members whose default setting is to care for others first. In light of that, I observed that seeing our artistic responses tied together could serve as a great reminder that, while we often care for others and support others in their needs, we could also receive support and care in return. In this way, we should lean on group members to help us in our journey toward prioritizing our own care as much as we prioritize the care of others.
This session felt like a wonderful closing to the six-week group for both the members and me. I am so thankful I got to create and lead this group. I realize this learning opportunity really developed my facilitative and leadership abilities. I am sad to report that the coming week will be the last of my internship here at Emmanuel. I hope to sign off next week with a thoughtful reflection on our experiences and overall learning throughout my intern year here at Emmanuel.
— Alex Shoemaker, 5/6/2026