"Our Designers Make Us Look Good"

This email is a part of the Penny & Lucy Lou Art eBlast series that showcases our clients (the Interior Designers) that are hard at work making sure our art fits in the space and is appealing to their client(s).

Evergreen House
Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina
The Village at Summerville
Summerville, South Carolina

How we Start With the Art

Recently, we completed custom art wayfinding for the NEW Evergreen House at the Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina. To preface our interview with the Interior Designer, Sydney Kerschen, an article published in the Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina "Community Connections" Summer 2021 Issue elaborates on the importance of the newest edition at the Village of Summerville and the deeper meaning behind the philosophy for the type of memory care offered.

Memory Care: Montessori for Aging and Dementia

"From Evergreen House's inception, Jennifer Brush, MA,CCC/SLP, worked in conjunction with Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina and McMillan Pazdan Smith Architects to design the memory support neighborhood, the first intentionally designed building of its kind in the United States. Jennifer is the only trainer in the U.S. certified by the Association of Montessori Internationale (AMI) for Montessori for Aging and Dementia and one of two trainers in the world with this exclusive expertise. The building is already being presented as the gold standard for memory support design at national and international events."

Meaning Behind the Name: Evergreen House

"While the most familiar usage of the word evergreen refers to trees and shrubs that have green leaves throughout the entire year, the word also has another meaning -- one that is particularly applicable to the groundbreaking concept of Montessori for Aging and Dementia.

Evergreen is something that doesn't change with the seasons, something that is timeless and does not become obsolete. That is the intention of Montessori-based memory support, which helps residents feel useful, valuable and relevant by rekindling past roles and tasks so they can make meaningful contributions to their present life and community."

-- PCSC Community Connections Summer 2021 Issue

How important was the art on this project? Did you Start with the Art?

The art on this project was super important! We knew we had to include pieces that not only looked beautiful, but also served a purpose. Everything in this facility was approved by a Montessori for Dementia and Aging expert – Jennifer Brush. Penny and Pam McPeak from Penny & Lucy Lou Art were able to take custom shots for us and they really understood the directives of the Montessori vision and made it a reality in the artwork. Penny's team made the artwork portion of the project run so smoothly, and I knew I didn’t have to worry about anything art related! With their help we were able to select art pieces that not only fit with our aesthetic, but were also easy for residents to recognize, engage with, and use as wayfinding tools to promote independence.

Montessori Consultant: Jennifer Brush, MA,CCC/SLP

Architecture Firm: McMillan Pazdan Smith

Interior Designer: Sydney Kerschen, NCIDQ, IIDA