Many retirement homes I have visited have a lot of paintings hanging in the hallways. I know that some places allow the residents’ works to be hung. Perhaps that’s an idea for some of the paintings.
Instead of a “giveaway” party at the church, how about an auction or raffle with the proceeds going to one of the church’s missions?

I was going to suggest a charity auction at the church as well.

A charity auction would be a great idea – that way the paintings go to good homes and a good organization benefits.

It would be fun to put on a one-woman show for her somewhere. Proceeds to charity. But that is likely too complicated unless you know people willing to host it.

Donate them to the retirement home she is planning to move into. If accepted, the management may hang them in communal places for all to enjoy.

I like the idea of a one-woman show. Does her church have an activities building? Maybe they would let her have the show there with the proceeds going to her church or the youth group. She could donate a few pictures for the activity building for the members to remember her by.

Another idea would be to donate them to places that could use a bit of cheer, like shelters for the homeless or schools in low income areas.

@Sunny2 regardless of what happens to her paintings, please, at the very least take some photographs of her art and have them printed. I’m sure she would appreciate having the memories to look at and share with her new neighbors in the retirement community.

I also was reminded of the memory quilts I’ve seen given as gifts. Photographs are printed on fabric sheets and sewn into quilts. Really beautiful. Making the quilt may be something she is interested in pursueing herself or someone at her retirement community may already be a quilter. Either way, it is a lovely way to transfer the old into the new.

I think her church community is an excellent way of adopting out her art. I’d also contact the art instructor at the local community college and see if this person has any ideas. Maybe the instructor would take a few as a teaching tool.

I am faced with the same sitution with my mother in a nursing home. She is 94 and began painting back in the 70s. Paintings are here, there, everywhere. I know she is not going to live forever, so exactly what do we do with their paintings?

She should be able to take them with her to the retirement community. She can put several of them up in her own room and the community might welcome her art work in the common areas. In many of the nursing homes I have visited I have seen art work from the patients on the walls. You can also take pictures of her pictures and put them in a photo album for her. That way she can still look at and enjoy her art without it taking up so much space.

I also think that having a giveaway for all her friends is a nice gesture. That way they will all have something beautiful to remember her by after she has moved.