'I don't want people to be afraid to grow old'

An artist who has created an inter-generational project to celebrate those over the age of 60 said she wanted to encourage people "not to be afraid to grow old".

The project - an exhibition featuring 60 portraits of people over the age of 60 - involved 25 artists and 30 children and took eight months to complete.

Celebrating a diverse cross-section of the Manx community, including artists, musicians, farmers and charity-workers, the 60 over 60 Faces of Mann exhibition is on display in Laxey.

Artist Debra Tracey, who came up with the idea, said: "There is so much that older people can contribute to society and it was really wanting to highlight that."

She added: "I think in our culture, older people do tend to become a bit more invisible and I think that was why I wanted to make sure that people were over the age of 60.

"It's also about not being afraid to grow old.

"I think we are in a society where wrinkles are seen as bad when actually its a real privilege to have wrinkles because there's a lot of people that are no longer with us that will never get them."

The exhibition features paintings, drawings, glasswork and ceramics.

Some of those who were painted went into schools to meet some of the children who were creating the portraits.

Ms Tracey, who has worked as an adult education lecturer with vulnerable groups as well as being an artist, said it had been "inter-generational" and had "fostered that level of reciprocal respect between the older and the younger generations".

She added: "I have always worked with older people, even when I was younger I wanted to work in a care home.

"I just find them really interesting."

The display features the portraits of those who are living as well as honouring some who have died.

Some of the people featured include Bill Dale, who launched Beach Buddies, illustrator Julia Ashby Smyth and Captain John Kewley who rescued people from the Snaefell Mine after a fire in 1897.

The exhibition will be on display until the end of January at the Hodgson Loom Gallery in Laxey.

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