We’ve marveled for years at the brilliant Nobel Prize winner, neuroscientist Rita Levi Montalcini and she continues to amaze. In good health at 103, she commented: “I can say my mental capacity is greater today than when I was 20, since it has been enriched by so many experiences.” Read more about her here. Watch a brief video from 2009 in which, at age 100, she meets eight researchers in Israel and talks about the world of research and women’s role in it. [Subscribers: click on the post title to go to the blog and see the video.]
Worth Repeating: A Senior Center Without Walls
“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 12/5/11:
Not everyone has the ability to get to a local senior center to enjoy the activities offered there and not everyone lives in an apartment community that has interesting and creative classes and programs provided by EngAGE. Fortunately, there is an alternative: Senior Center Without Walls, a non-profit and non-denominational service sponsored by Episcopal Senior Communities, is “a free telephone program connecting California elders through activities, friendship, and community.” The Center offers classes and support groups via free conference calls (no special telephone equipment is needed). Click here to see examples of what’s offered. Registration is open throughout the term.
Lifelong Learning: Elder Quest
If you live near a college campus, it’s quite possible that you’ll have an opportunity to continue learning through a program designed especially for seniors. One example is Elder Quest at Utah Valley University. Read more about it here.
Experience Talks 12/1: Christine Stevens
Tune in to Experience Talks, our “Radio Magazine for the Experienced Listener.” Saturdays 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 99.5 China Lake, 93.7 N. San Diego, streaming live online and now syndicated on up to 100 Pacifica Network stations! You can also enjoy hearing all of our previous shows on the Listen Page of our Experience Talks website.
This week: Host Dr. Connie Corley talks with musician/author/educator Christine Stevens
With a graduate degree in each hand (social work and music therapy), CHRISTINE STEVENS has composed a life enriching the experiences of many around the globe through drumming and other ensemble experiences. Christine is the founder of UpBeat Drum Circles and consultant to REMO, the world’s largest drum company. Christine has led drum circles internationally with Fortune 500 Companies, healing at Ground Zero and Hurricane Katrina, and led the first drum circle training in northern Iraq for conflict resolution and peace building. She is the author of The Healing Drum Kit, The Art and Heart of Drum Circles, and her latest book published by Sounds True, “Music Medicine: The Science and Spirit of Healing Yourself with Sound.”
Ms. Stevens will be appearing at the Sixth International Annual Conference on Positive Aging, February 10 – 12, 2013, in Los Angeles. Click HERE for details.
Learn more about Christine Stevens HERE.
The Oldest Jazz Musician in New Orleans: Lionel Ferbos, 101
At 101, trumpeter Lionel Ferbos isn’t ready to retire. He’s still playing gigs and, just last week, he made an appearance on the TV show, “Treme.” Read more here in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Take a look at this video taken at one of his performances two years ago. It’s his band, featuring clarinetist Brian O’Connell, saxophonist Tom Fischer, bassist Art Neville and drummer Ernie Elly, on “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate.” It was shot by Ricky Riccardi of the Louis Armstrong blog at dippermouth.blogspot.com at Maison during the Satchmo Club Strut on Frenchman Street. [Subscribers: click on the post title to go to the blog and see the video.]
Gay Talese’s Office
We’ve written in the past about journalist Gay Talese (see this post), but we were intrigued by a recent update in the New Yorker in which he offers a tour of his very organized office. “Since 1945, Talese has kept a file for every year of his life. He has records of each day—where he was, what he saw, who he spoke to.” Read more here and enjoy the video tour below (subscribers: click on this post’s title to go to the blog and see the video).
EngAGE Partners with Menorah Housing Foundation for Arts Programs
EngAGE congratulates Menorah Housing Foundation on their unrestricted $50,000 grant from MetLife Foundation and Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. The award honors Menorah Housing Foundation’s outstanding leadership, innovation, effectiveness and quality operations and services in the area of affordable senior housing. The award also recognizes the organization for successfully incorporating green components in their housing. The award is presented to only four organizations nationally.
“We are so honored to be recognized by the Met Life Foundation and by Enterprise with this award. It means a lot to all of our staff who work very hard, and often behind the scenes, to provide the best affordable housing for our tenants,” said Anne Friedrich, Menorah Housing Foundation president. “This grant will be used in our ‘Healthy Aging’ program. Specifically, we will be initiating an ongoing weekly art workshop for our residents through our partner EngAGE.”
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In preparation for the gala award event held at Long Beach Senior Housing, EngAGE provided a team to involve residents in creating a chalk mural that was to be displayed for the ceremony the next day. Randall Williams, an award-winning chalk artist, traveled from Burbank to be the lead. He was assisted by Toni Byrd, a mixed media artist, who will teach ten weeks of art classes at Long Beach. Regional Programs Director Robin Hart and C.O.O. Maureen Kellen-Taylor were also in attendance. This mural, a copy of a Van Gogh painting, now adorns the wall of the entry lobby.
Mural work in progress.
Completed mural.
The Awards Ceremony the following day was attended by EngAGE Team Members Maureen Kellen-Taylor, Robin Hart, Ireesh Lal, and Toni Byrd. Menorah Housing Foundation asked for an ongoing art class for this building following the ceremony. Toni Byrd is now teaching mixed media and visual storytelling using mediums that are accessible and easy to find materials. The classes are designed to engage both those who have not made much art as well as those who are quite experienced. Approximately fifteen residents, which include a few husband and wife teams, are enthusiastic and cooperative students. They work in mixed media, incorporating collage, painting with water colors, and drawing.
MHF Board Chair Jon Pynoos
Long Beach City Councilman Dee Andrews
Tenant speaker Elilzabeth Feurence
Dana Hendrix of HUD addresses crowd
Award Presentation
EngAGE Arts Programs at other Menorah Housing Properties
Last year EngAGE was privileged to receive a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs for arts programs at Pico Veteran Senior Apartments in West Los Angeles. The residents and staff responded so positively that Menorah Housing Foundation asked to retain a class there and to initiate classes at Adams (Los Angeles) and Parthenia (Northridge) Senior Apartments. Art instructor Randall Williams teaches a traditional style of learning to paint through emulation, a technique that he has developed over years of work with seniors.
EngAGE COO Maureen Kellen-Taylor commented, “Art transcends language barriers and many of the participants in the painting class do not speak much, if any, English.”
Regional Programs Director Robin Hart explained, “Randall uses gestures and pantomime to make himself understood by all. It’s like watching him play charades. There’s a manager who translates and he is also learning to say a few words in each of the different languages.”
Here are a few photos of Randall’s students and their work:
Contributed by Maureen Kellen-Taylor, Robin Hart, Elizabeth Sampson, Randall Williams
Posted in Art/Architecture, Community News, Long Beach Senior Arts Colony
Tagged creative aging
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