Arts Celebrations for Seniors Abound
You know me as an elder care consultant and columnist and probably are unaware that I have a visual arts background. Before psychology and gerontology grabbed my attention, I received my bachelor’s degree in art.
As a 20-year-old at UC Berkeley, I loved drawing, printmaking and painting. I never missed waking up for my 8 AM art history lecture, during which slides of great artworks, such as van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” glowed across the dark lecture hall.
And now, with my own kids in college, there is time again for art. I love viewing etchings and paintings, chatting with art dealers, visiting artists’ studios, writing about art and volunteering with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
And, of course, I’m delighted when the worlds of elders and the arts dance together. This fall, three Bay Area organizations salute this tango.
First, the construction of the brand-new de Young Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is almost complete. The grand opening is Oct. 15, when the museum will be open for 30 hours straight. I signed up to volunteer on the “graveyard shift.” Last weekend, I strolled the grounds outside the museum and toured several galleries and the museum’s impressive tower.
I haven’t decided yet if I like the design, and the unusual interiors occasionally made me feel seasick. But this is one extraordinary building and a must-see! The exterior is covered with 950,000 pounds of copper, and the interior yields 84,000-square feet of gallery space. You can visit the gift shop, cafe and first floor entryway now through Sept. 30. Contact (415) 863-3330 or www.thinker.org.
The de Young has a partnership with the Bay Area non-profit Eldergivers. Among Eldergivers’ numerous projects are a variety of Bay Area-wide elders and arts programs. Timed with the de Young opening and held at the de Young will be “Elder Arts Celebrations” and “Bay Area Elder Artists of the Year” from Oct. 15-Nov.9. A reception for the artists will be held in the Wilsey Court on Oct. 19 from 6 to 8 PM. Admission is free but space is limited. Call (415) 441-2649 to RSVP. Check www.eldergivers.com for more information and additional fall programs.
In the East Bay, the Center for Creative Aging West is presenting its second annual Art of Aging Festival at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. in Berkeley on Sept. 24–25. The group promises “a celebration of the creativity, power and spunk of older adults,” featuring theater, dance, music, literary and visual arts. A Saturday gala and performance and Sunday intergenerational workshops are among the offerings. Featured will be actress and singer Naomi Newman, guitarist and vocalist Judith-Kate Friedman and the longest-running elder theater company in the country, Stagebridge Theater.
For tickets call Community Box Office Network at (925) 798-1300. For more information contact (510) 222-3988 or www.songwritingworks.org/festival.