EngAGE changes lives by transforming affordable senior and multigenerational apartment communities into vibrant centers of learning, wellness, and creativity.
Thanks to EngAGE Program Director Henry for #MakingADifference and sharing this story. about the conclusion of our service at one community:
It was a bittersweet Painting Class session this August at El Verano; it was our final meet-up. The students wrapped-up their painting projects, having accomplished so much along the way. They discovered the joys of painting, the value of patience, and, most importantly, they developed self-confidence and learned to trust heir own creative talents and skills. The outcomes were fantastic for all of us. I encouraged the artists to keep it up and stay EngAGEd!
After class, I helped Chris get his painting shipped to his family. A few days later he left me a kind message thanking me for all my extra help with his paintings over the years and encouraging him to persist. He asked if we could remain in touch and be friends, to which I responded, “Yes, of course. We need to celebrate your B-day…Your Friend, Henry!”
Bobbee Zeno and Tim Carpenter walking to KPFK’s studio for the first “Experience Talks” show Tim co-hosted with him. Tim: “Me, nervous; Bobbee, the consummate mentor/friend.”
To take our message about creative, positive aging to a wider audience, EngAGE produced “Experience Talks: A Radio Magazine for the Experienced Listener,” which aired weekly on 90.7 KPFK-FM Los Angeles and other Pacifica Network stations from 2003 – 2019. “Experience Talks ZoomCasts” were produced in 2020/21 and hosted by Tim Carpenter.
You’ll find “The Best of Experience Talks Radio Shows” archived on YouTube, including interviews with author/TV personality Dick Cavett, poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and actor/activist George Takei.
Our Zoomcasts are also archived on YouTube, including interviews with psychologist Derenda Schubert, journalist/former First Lady of California Maria Shriver, and Howard University professor Dr. Yolonda Wilson.
In 2015, Meta Housing Corporation finalized its first “family arts colony” apartment project with programming provided by EngAGE. The Pacific Avenue Arts Colony is in the SPACE (San Pedro Arts, Culture, and Entertainment) district in San Pedro, CA, an area filled with art galleries, theaters, music venues, restaurants, boutiques, and artists’ studios. PacArts, as it is known, has 48 affordable apartments for artists, including six ground-floor live/work spaces. There is also a community art studio, outdoor stage, and garden. Here’s some of the creative work from our talented youngest residents!
Get a taste of life at an arts colony! Aroha Philanthropies (now E.A. Michelson Philanthropy), our generous partner, produced this wonderful five-minute video about EngAGE in 2015. It features residents from Burbank Senior Artists Colony, North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony, and Long Beach Senior Arts Colony.
Bandida ~ “A Pistol, a Plan, and Sensible Shoes” (2006) ~ is a funny, touching, 12-minute short film created by Burbank Senior Artists Colony resident Suzanne Knode.
The story of its creation is also the story of personal transformation and the power of the creative environment found at an arts colony.
Bandida tells the story of an older woman who rides a senior bus to a convenience store, uses her walker to saunter up to the counter, puts on a mask à la the film Scream, and proceeds to rob the older Armenian gentleman who owns the place. However, during the course of this first-time felony, the story takes a surprising turn.
First-time screenwriter Suzanne Knode had spent most of her life as a single mom working to raise her kids. After she retired, she was surviving on social security income alone (well below the poverty level), was depressed, had suffered a traumatic accident, and was in chronic pain. Fortunately, she moved to the Burbank Senior Artists Colony where EngAGE provides engrossing programming in the arts, wellness, lifelong learning. The atmosphere was creative and welcoming.
Suzanne thought she’d like to try her hand at writing, so she attended an EngAGE writing class at the Artists Colony. Bandida was her class project. As EngAGE Founder Tim Carpenter has observed, he was simply hoping that the script would be “not terrible.” Instead, he and Suzanne’s classmates were delighted to discover that it was wonderful! It was so wonderful that EngAGE formed a production company, recruited director/cinematographer Ronny Novick and other professional help, cast the film with residents, and produced it under the banner of “Last Gasp Productions.”
The making of Suzanne’s film and her story of reinvention were profiled on national television on the show This American Life on Showtime (now available on Prime; free short promo here). Suzanne was thrilled to watch the premiere of her film on the big screen along with an audience of hundreds at the El Portal Theater in the NoHo Arts District as part of the 2007 Valley Film Festival.
In 2010, she was selected as one of 11 subjects for a nationwide campaign and photo exhibit to help raise awareness of “how people can keep their minds beautiful.” The campaign, “Beautiful Minds: Finding Your Lifelong Potential,” was co-sponsored by the National Center for Creative Aging and Martek Biosciences, a company committed to Brain Health.
After her film’s success, Suzanne continued writing, took up painting, and became a mentor to young students. And Burbank Senior Artists Colony continues to be a good place to grow.
We are delighted to present Bandida on our YouTube Channel!
LBSAC is a 200-unit senior affordable housing community at the northern gateway into downtown Long Beach. It’s adjacent to light rail and the city’s major bus corridor. EngAGE provides residents with stimulating programming that promotes creative, healthy aging. Among the amenities are art studios and gallery space which residents use extensively, including for the 2017 exhibition, “Legacy: A Celebration of Senior Artists,” presented by EngAGE and sponsored by SCAN HEALTH PLAN. The show celebrated the 40th anniversary of SCAN and the 5th anniversary of the completion of construction of Long Beach Senior Arts Colony. It featured paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and photography from professional artists in addition to creations by the talented residents of LBSAC. Click here to learn more and see photos from the reception.
EngAGE encourages and empowers residents in our communities to share their special talents through teaching a class or performing for their neighbors. Examples are these resident-led programs at Pacific Avenue Arts Colony (PacArts) and Burbank Senior Artists Colony (BSAC). We believe everyone has talent that’s worth sharing!
Resident-led ceramics class at PacArts.
Resident-led intergenerational jewelry-making class at PacArts.
