Barbara Brecht arrived at Kendal bearing a gift that tapped into two things Kendal residents cherish: art and nature.
She donated three outdoor rock sculptures made by Ted Ludwiczak, a New York artist who sculpted hundreds of heads from rocks he gathered from nearby Hudson River until his death in 2016. Years ago Barbara and her husband Warren, now deceased, lived in nearby Nyack and they discovered “Ted’s Heads” while on a bike ride.
“Over the years I have bought at least 20 heads and all different sizes. I own 7 and as soon as I moved here in May I selected three for Kendal’s Courtyard Garden,” she says.
Barbara gave the sculptures names - Three Faces of Eve (photographed above), Happy Face and Igor (photographed below)– which certainly fits nicely with Ted’s artistic approach, according to his daughter Renee Ludwiczak, also an artist who has created second-generation Ted’s Heads.
“What sets Ted Ludwiczak’s heads apart is the meticulous attention to detail that goes into each piece. He took the time to ensure that every aspect of the head is crafted to perfection, from the expressions on the faces to the textures of the materials. These heads are not only aesthetically pleasing; they are also designed to provoke thought and contemplation. Each head represents a facet of humanity and its complexities, encouraging the viewer to reflect on their own identity and place in the world. In this way, Ted’s Heads are not just sculptures, they are thought-provoking works of art.”
Barbara’s 2-bedroom cottage is located just inside Kendal’s main entrance so she hears lots of comments about the four heads in her yard. The Courtyard Garden has many visitors too. “I was just admiring them a few days ago,” Don Parker says.
Kendal’s campus is an arboretum
The 110-acre campus, which includes ponds, woods, gardens and 1-mile paved trail for walking and biking, is called the John Bartram Arboretum at Kendal at Oberlin. In 2022 it was accredited as a Level II arboretum by ArbNet, the global network of arboreta founded by the Morton Arboretum in Illinois. It is the only arboretum in Northeast Ohio that resides on the grounds of a retirement community.
The Arboretum is also accredited as a Tree Campus Healthcare facility.
Kendal residents and staff recently formed an American Chestnut Tree Interest Group to help bring attention to the challenges of restoring this once prolific hardwood tree. Kendal planted three saplings on the grounds, which includes six chestnuts.
“And we are always looking at ways to convert lawns to more ecological landscapes, such as meadows,” says Rachel Duncan, grounds manager. Not only will less grass mean less maintenance, but it will reduce noise and air pollution.
An ad in The New Yorker entitled “Do you like to learn?” caught Barbara’s eye. She was living on a communal farm in Charlottesville, Virginia with her partner Ed and while they loved living on the farm, they knew it would be a challenge to grow old there.
“I just love this place,” she says. Along with the lifelong learning opportunities both on campus and off, Barbara was attracted to the musical activities at Kendal, Oberlin College and the Cleveland area.
She was active with the Greene County Singers in Virginia and looks forward to singing with Kendal residents. Barbara is a former hospice chaplain and once she gets settled plans to volunteer in the Stephens Care Center.
And she quickly became acquainted with three residents, who turns out are old friends of people in her circle.
As for Ted’s Heads, she’s happy she was able to enhance Kendal’s grounds. “I think they’ll be around forever,” she says.
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About Kendal at Oberlin: Kendal is a nonprofit life plan community serving older adults in northeast Ohio. Located about one mile from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and about a 40 minute drive from downtown Cleveland, Kendal offers a vibrant resident-led lifestyle with access to music, art and lifelong learning.