Casa Bonita News

Posted on February 18, 2016 by EngAGE

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In an effort to assist residents with their food needs, EngAGE has partnered with Food Forward, a nonprofit that provides fresh fruits and vegetables to needy families across Los Angeles. For Casa Bonita residents, the food is from the Brentwood Farmers Market. This food distribution is very much appreciated and enjoyed by Casa Bonita residents.

 

 

The biweekly Craft Class taught by Shirley Yu provides an opportunity for residents to express themselves through craft-work. The participating residents consistently enjoy this class. Recently, they created two necklaces and a pair of earrings with gem stones.

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A monthly party and birthday celebration with cake and ice cream is always appreciated. Residents enjoyed delicious homemade food, and warm tamales and champurrado provided by EngAGE. They enjoyed the dash for cash raffle and had a great time as they ate, conversed and danced.

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In Art Class, beginner and advanced artists learn about different techniques and mediums in art while exploring and discovering their own potential. In December, residents did a winter painting. Instructor Yvonne Ochoa guided them through using different brush strokes, blending different colors to achieve the desired consistency. Participants are very excited about this creative class.

 

~ Sandra Vargas, Regional Programs Director

EngAGE offers a variety of classes, workshops, and special programs at each of our communities. These posts highlight just a small sample.

 

Posted in Art/Architecture, Casa Bonita, Community News, Hand-Crafting, Health, Holidays | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Photos from EngAGE at the Armory Art Show Reception

Posted on February 17, 2016 by EngAGE

Armory_LogoThe EngAGE art exhibition entitled “It’s Never Too Late to Create!” at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena opened with a lovely reception on January 16th and closed this past weekend. The show featured work by eight residents of Burbank Senior Artists Colony and North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony, plus curators Maureen Kellen-Taylor (EngAGE C.O.O.) and Cynthia Friedlob (EngAGE Websites/Social Media Manager). Click here to see the complete list of artists and read their bios. We hope you had a chance to stop by!

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The Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. (Photo: Tyrone Polk)

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Ready for the reception. (Photo: John Semper Jr.)

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(Photo: John Semper Jr.)

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(Photo: John Semper Jr.)

 

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Artist Alvin Fels in front of one of his paintings, along with his son and gallery visitor Andre Miripolsky, a well-known Los Angeles artist. (Photo: Tyrone Polk)

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Artist Alvin Fels with gallery visitors. (Photo: Tyrone Polk)

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Artist/curator Maureen Kellen-Taylor in front of her work, with her daughter, Samantha Vargas. (Photo: Tyrone Polk)

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Artist/curator Cynthia Friedlob in front of her paintings, with Experience Talks producer/host John Semper Jr. (left) and EngAGE CFO Ken Tambe. (Photo: Tyrone Polk)

 

Posted in Art/Architecture, Burbank Senior Artists Colony, Community News, News from the Team, NoHo Senior Arts Colony | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Burbank and NoHo Poets Featured on Poets & Writers Blog – Part Two

Posted on February 16, 2016 by EngAGE

Poets-Writers“Since 2011, P&W has supported creative writing workshops for Los Angeles seniors through the sponsoring organization EngAGE. It started with workshop leader Hannah R. Menkin, and since then P&W has supported workshops led by Morgan Gibson, Mike “the Poet” Sonksen, Michael C. Ford, and Oshea “Food4Thot” Perry-Luja. The workshops, which now take place at both the Burbank and North Hollywood Senior Artist Colonies, bring together creative seniors in their sixties, seventies, eighties, and some even in their nineties. Participants are multitalented—some paint, some sing, some act—and all of them have discovered or rediscovered a love of writing. In part two of a two-part blog report, Jamie Asaye FitzGerald, director of the Readings & Workshops (West) program, reflects on an interview with a few of the workshop participants.” If you missed Part One by the McCrindle Foundation Readings & Workshops Fellow, Melissa Sipin, you can click here to read it. And here’s Part Two: Coming to Poetry Late in Life.

See photos and video from the 2015 Lit Crawl event, “On Being a Kid: A Poetry Reading by Los Angeles Senior Artists,” which featured participants from the P&W–supported EngAGE writing workshops at the Burbank and North Hollywood Senior Artist Colonies.

 

Posted in Burbank Senior Artists Colony, Community News, NoHo Senior Arts Colony, Writing/Storytelling | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Magnolia @ Highland News

Posted on February 15, 2016 by EngAGE

Today we’re catching up with Magnolia @ Highland in San Bernardino.

Staying in shape during the holidays: In the “Get Fit with Kelsey” class, residents are guided through a customized fitness regimen incorporating aerobic and strength training with music and dance. Instructor Kelsey Brennan: “I held a Christmas themed class on the Monday before Christmas and the residents really had fun with it! I love that the residents like to come to my class. They continue to let me know that they enjoy it, and are always thanking me for coming!”

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Artists’ Round Table: Beginning and working artists gather each week to discuss projects, provide feedback, and share in the process of individual creation. This project was Holiday Centerpieces. Instructor Alma Wright: “This month’s project was a scene of three Christmas trees made out of poster board in the shape of cones in 3 different sizes. Every tree was decorated in a different style using wrapping paper, yarn, and coffee filters and then placed on top of felt to complete the scene. The students had the opportunity to get creative with the end result by using glitter, buttons, or sequins to decorate the yarn and coffee filter trees. One student chose to make all her trees with the wrapping paper, and a couple of others decided to make extras for their families. Resident Wilhelmina was excited about this project and told me this would be the only Christmas decoration in her apartment this year.”

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A great gathering to celebrate New Year’s Eve with finger foods and sandwiches, and entertainment provided by Roy the Karaoke King. RPD Alma Wright: “WSH Manager Jujuana Story hired Roy to come help make this party special. He played, sang, and held a raffle. The residents were enjoying the food and were just getting warmed up on the dance floor, when a strong earthquake hit the area. Roy quickly started playing ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’ to get the residents back on the dance floor. In the end, everyone kept on partying, and enjoyed dancing and blowing their horns to celebrate the New Year a bit early!”

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2015_12-5 MagH2015_12-6 MagH2015_12-7 MagH~ Alma Wright, Regional Programs Director

EngAGE offers a variety of classes, workshops, and special programs at each of our communities. These posts highlight just a small sample.

Posted in Community News, Exercise/Sports, Hand-Crafting, Holidays, Magnolia @ Highland | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cotton’s Point News

Posted on February 14, 2016 by EngAGE

We’re still catching up on all the holiday activities enjoyed by our EngAGEd seniors!

Cotton’s Point residents enjoyed an inter-generational gathering where seniors were entertained by elementary school kids to celebrate the holidays. Site Leader Jennifer Fallon: “For the second year, San Onofre Elementary students, pre-kindergarten and third graders, came to Cotton’s Point to sing holiday songs and play musical instruments. The residents really enjoyed the event. Next year, enhancements could include holiday treats to share, and extra time for the residents to interact with the students.”

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Crafts Classes provide an opportunity for residents to explore their creativity through various mediums. Instructor Jennifer Fallon comments: “Our Crafts Class was a lot of fun this month. The residents decided to make the table arrangements and decorations for the Holiday Party. We painted and decorated pinecone trees for the tables. Residents also brought down holiday decorations to make more festive decorations for the community room. It was so nice to watch them use their resources and collaborate to make the room look beautiful for the party. They definitely took great pride in their work. Some residents even gave their decorations to other residents after the party. We’re looking forward to painting on canvas in January.”

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~ Nancy Goodhart, Vice President

EngAGE offers a variety of classes, workshops, and special programs at each of our communities. These posts highlight just a small sample.

 

Posted in Community News, Cotton's Point, Hand-Crafting, Holidays | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Worth Repeating: Couples with Over Fifty Years Together

Posted on February 13, 2016 by EngAGE

“Worth Repeating” is a weekly feature on the EngAGE Blog that will bring you previous posts that we think are still timely, interesting, or just plain fun! From 2/8/15:

WORTH-REPEATINGFrom the New York Times:

Six years ago, Lauren Fleishman discovered a book next to her maternal grandfather’s bed. Inside were a series of love notes. He had written them to her grandmother during the Second World War.

Her grandparents Joseph and Doris Kalish had met on a blind date and married in 1944 in Goldsboro, N.C. They were together 59 years. Other than the basics, Ms. Fleishman didn’t know their story well. But the passionate passages she read from the couple’s early days inspired her to share the enduring love stories of other couples. After all, any romance that lasts for more than 50 years is probably worth talking about.

Ms. Fleishman has photographed couples who have been married for half a century or more for her book “The Lovers,” which will be published in Europe this month.

Read more and see a lovely slide show here.

 

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Long Beach Senior Arts Colony Invites You to the Opening of “Neshkinukat: We Are All Related”

Posted on February 12, 2016 by EngAGE

“NESHKINUKAT: We Are All Related”  celebrates today’s Native American Elder Artists. For Native Americans, traditionally there was no “art” separate from objects of daily life. For many tribes, Paint = Power. Objects were painted to increase their power. Symbols were used to create relationships and tell stories. Today, Native American Elder Art is as rich with culture and heritage as it ever was!

“Neshkinukat” is EngAGE’s first traveling exhibition. It was previously at NoHo SAC and PacArts. LBSAC is delighted to be hosting the show for our artists, residents, and guests.

Reception: Meet the artists, see their work, hear their stories. Enjoy refreshments and music, crafts and artwork (available for sale; cash or check only.) The exhibition will be on display by appointment only until May 1st. Street parking is available. Enter through the main lobby doors. For additional information, please contact Helene Weinberg at (562)436-0700 or at HeleneEngage@gmail.com.

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~ Helene Weinberg, Creative Programs Director

Posted in Art/Architecture, Community News, Long Beach Senior Arts Colony | Tagged , | Leave a comment