Winston Manor Convalescent and Nursing hosted a piano concert on Friday April 13, 2007 to honor the donation of a grand piano by Harrington instructor James Smith. Winston Manor is located at 2155 West Pierce Street in Chicago’s Wicker Park Historic District.

Winston Manor is an intermediate care nursing home that provides custodial care for a diverse mix of both younger and older clients. The historic building was a women’s boarding room through the 1940s.

Smith, who specializes in professional illustration, received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting Degree from Northwestern University. He has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Harrington since 1993 where he teaches rendering and perspective.

"I called professional restoration companies to see if anyone was interested in restoring this 1932 grand and was amazed to learn that pianos are part of our culture’s disposal mind-set," Smith said. "Apparently people buy new pianos like new cars and throw the old ones away."

Smith’s adaptive re-use efforts received an enthusiastic response from Shandra Jones, Activity Director for Winston Manor, who jumped at the opportunity. "The clients derive great pleasure from Mr. Smith’s generous donation," said Jones. "They enjoy playing childhood songs on a daily basis and those who don’t play enjoy listening. Winston Manor is grateful for his support."

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