EngAGE changes lives by transforming affordable senior and multigenerational apartment communities into vibrant centers of learning, wellness, and creativity.
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.
EngAGE is pleased to announce that we have received a generous Organizational Grant Program grant from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture. This grant will support our well-respected EngAGE in Creativity program, a community-based, multidisciplinary arts program offering college-level classes taught by experienced artists and instructors. The program also offers related lifelong learning classes and creative events conveniently presented on-site at the affordable apartment communities we serve. We are grateful for this acknowledgment of the value of our work.
The North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony opened in March 2013, offering apartments for adults 62+ in the vibrant NOHO Arts District. In addition to amenities such as a fitness studio and swimming pool, the community offers a large visual arts studio and a stadium-style, 78-seat performing arts theater, professionally run by The Road Theatre Company. Residents enjoy a variety of arts, wellness, and lifelong learning programming provided by EngAGE.
NoHo SAC is the second of five Arts Colonies developed with Meta Housing in Southern California that we’re acknowledging as part of our 25th anniversary celebration.
EngAGE marks important holidays like Mother’s Day with inclusive activities and celebrations. In this case, residents at several communities created special projects to honor mothers and those serving as mothers! Here’s an example of residents at The Remi enjoying “Let’s ParTea & Paint,” Teaching Artist Meloney’s guided painting class, with jazz music, tea, and pastries..
A surprise can make a celebration even more fun. Residents at Dorado Senior Apartments craft every Thursday. These four regular participants made beautifully decoupaged vases, then were thrilled to receive fresh roses from Program Director Rosa for Mother’s Day!
EngAGE believes in the value of intergenerational connections. Five years ago, we had the opportunity to collaborate with Getty Unshuttered, a teen photography program of the J. Paul Getty Museum, inspired by Genesis Motor America. Mimi, one of thousands of young photographers who believe art can be a force for social change, visited the North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony to create documentary photos of our artistic residents for her project about “the youthfulness of elderly people.” The experience was positive for everyone!
Over the years, our arts programming has always been eclectic, embracing music (vocal and instrumental performance and music appreciation), writing (including poetry and screenwriting), acting (including improv), dance (including hip-hop), visual arts (including sculpture and painting), and crafts (including pottery, crochet, and making holiday decorations). We encourage our residents to stretch their imaginations, experiment, and have fun.
Crafting at Magnolia@Highland Senior Apartments often means exploring creativity in unexpected areas. In February, the resident artists started a new project with Teaching Artist Alma: making fascinator hats! However, the project was so exciting that it quickly inspired them to want to learn how to make other hat styles, too, including a cowboy hat, a cap, a fedora, and more. As the design process evolved, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the creative challenge, including Alma.
The hats began to take shape as residents stitched multiple types of fabrics by hand and with their new sewing machine. Alma encouraged them to design something uniquely their own.
The finished creations were exciting to behold! They had been working on these hats for months and had been talking about the outfits and shoes they would wear with them. There needed to be a special celebration to showcase the hats for neighbors and friends.
What better than an Oscar Party, complete with red carpet?!
Last minute adjustments were made (even with the new sewing machine breaking down!), accessories were chosen, and the group was ready to show off their work .
On June 12th, as the class participants arrived at the event, cell phones were raised by the other guests to take their pictures, and they were each greeted with applause and hugs.
Everyone ate, laughed, and danced to DJ David’s music.
At the end of the celebration, the guests voted for the best hat, and the top four were awarded a mini-Oscar and a gift card. The winners were:
1st – Gail (in pink, channeling Jessica Rabbit)
2nd – Bobbi (in purple with the bucket hat)
3rd – Marie (in black with the feather hat and fan)
4th – Rita (in brown leather with the cowboy hat)
Congratulations to all of our talented artists, Program Director Jessica (below with Bobbi), and Teaching Artist Alma (who declined having a photo included here!) for a wonderful, creative, EngAGEing arts and community-building experience!
