Clif has many gifts, some inherent but more given. He is an amazing storyteller, with a yarn for everything – growing up in Pennsylvania and spending summers with extended family, his World War II service, his comedic father and uncles, how he won over his wife from another man, and his red Mustang convertible. He has enjoyed a long and full life – married for 60 years to Harriet, an art teacher and painter for many years before she passed away. Together they had three children who have given him three grandchildren.
to his experiences as a “grandbuddy.”
We have gotten to know Clif through his participation as a “grandbuddy” in the Community Arts Center’s Arts Cart program. His own creativity and unique experience of being married to an art teacher make him an ideal candidate for this vital role. Once a month, kindergartners from Woodlawn Elementary School, grandbuddies from McDowell Place, and Arts Center staff come together and create art. It is a spectacular mix of two generations, each benefiting the other.
“They really are remarkable children,” Clif says of his Arts Cart students. “I love seeing the kids come through. I don’t know what kind of background, good or bad, they have, but I hope that I can give them some good.”
An artist in his own right, Clif also showed me a water color painting that he’s working on, a hilarious collection of doodles, and his more serious and elegantly-written memoirs of World War II.
Clif’s clever spirit, infectious laugh and knack for mischief gives Arts Cart kids an experience to carry with them always. Without the Arts Cart program, these connections might never have been made and Cliff’s wonderful gifts may have gone unshared.
To support Arts Cart and the Community Arts Center this holiday season, please donate online via our GoodGiving Guide Challenge page through Dec. 31. Your gift could be matched by corporations and foundations, and you can earn prizes too!
