Elders Share the Arts Annual Program Report 2015-2016

ELDERS SHARE THE ARTS ANNUAL PROGRAM REPORT SEPTEMBER 2015 – JUNE 2016

Elders Share the Arts offers adults high-caliber arts programming that ignites creative expression, cultivates their role as bearers of history and culture, and generates new pathways to connect them to their communities.

ELDERS SHARE THE ARTS

Program Report

September 2015 – June 2016

Legacy Arts

1138 South OxvordStreet Brooklyn, NY 11217 tel: (718) 398 -3870 fax: (718) 398 –3864 www.elderssharethearts.org BOARD OF DIRCTORS Tobi Abramson, Ph.D. President John Flack, CFA Ex Officio

Legacy Arts, ESTA’s multi-disciplinary arts residency program, are conducted in a variety of community settings throughout NYC, and led by our roster of professional teaching artists. Each artist is trained in how to use our unique Living History Arts methodology, a blend of oral history and reminiscence, that is combined with art-making.

Nancy Avitable, LMSW

History Alive!

Guy Lawrence

Is an arts-in-education, intergenerational arts program that partners youth and elders at schools, youth organizations, and senior sites. The program is based on New York State Learning Standards and takes place both in and out of school. This unique program uses the arts to enhance the classroom experience for grades 5-12. Participants share life experiences, learn oral history and art skills, then transform their stories into original works of theater, creative writing, and visual art that is shared with their communities.

Arts And Memory

These programs are designed for people in the early to late stages of dementia. Our Teaching Artists are trained to meet people where they are in the present moment, to guide them through an artistic journey. All programs culminate with an event designed to share the work created to develop a strong sense of community among center members and the broader public.

Pearls Of Wisdom

ESTA’s touring ensemble of elder storytellers. In richly crafted presentations, the Elders share stories on historic turning points, women, family, activism, culture, work, civil rights, and folk traditions. They have performed in a variety of venues, including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, People’s Voice Café, public schools and universities, Virtual Senior Centers, outdoors, indoors, across the country, and around the world!

Nadia Campbell-Mitchell Janice Blanchard, MSPH Susan Fleminger

Betsy Nathan, Esq. Susan Perlstein, MSW Sajid Zaman

Jennie Smith-Peers Executive Director Julie Kline Program Manager F L AM EK EE PE R R E C I P I E N T S Sheldon Harnick -2016 Joan Jeffri - 2015 Helen R Hamlin – 2014 Carmen DeLavallade & Geoffrey Holder – 2013 Hal Holbrook - 2012 Ron Carter – 2009 Eli Wallach – 2008 Bel Kanfman & Susan Perlstein - 2007

Legacy Arts MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS RETIREMENT AND HEALTH SERVICES (MRHS) Modality: Writing Culmination Medium: Final Reading Number of Sessions: 18 Year: 22 Teaching Artist: Susan Willerman Number of Participants: 15 Neighborhood / Borough: Morningside Heights, Manhattan “Clearly this group has been impacted by each other’s writing and discussion as a life enhancer… they are very free to express how much this group means to each of them.

They are very much connected to each other’s stories and experiences and encourage each other to expand when appropriate, ask good questions and reflect on what has jumped out to them as readers/listeners.” ~Teaching Artist

Stats and Images from MRHS Blog: “Get Your Words Worth”

SERVICES AND ADVOCACY FOR GLBT ELDERS (SAGE) GRIOT

Modality: Collage & Mixed Media Culmination Medium: Final Exhibit Number of Sessions: 20 Year: 2 Teaching Artist: Susan Fleminger Volunteer Assistant: Anna Hunt Number of Participants: 12 Neighborhood / Borough: Fort Greene, Brooklyn

“A+ !! It was beneficial on multiple levels. I joined a new community and broadened my knowledge of different cultures and traditions.

It was very calming and intellectually stimulating.” ~ Elder participant “This class helped remove some of the cobwebs.

It really opens one’s mind to more possibility.” ~ Elder participant

MR. G FROM PIX11 COMES TO SAGE GRIOT!

"When I retired I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself, then I found this program,” Sande added.

“It’s given me the courage to go back to discover my creative side," Tony Setteducate said.

And it's just one of the many classes offered through the nonprofit Elders Share the Arts. ~ Excerpt from TV piece and online article: http://pix11.com/2016/03/16/its-a-gthing-nonprofit-offers-free-visual-artsprograms-and-fresh-start-for-olderadults/

SERVICES AND ADVOCACY FOR GLBT ELDERS (SAGE)

Modality: Collage & Mixed Media Culmination Medium: Final Exhibit Number of Sessions: 10 Year: 1 Teaching Artist: Paul Ferrara Volunteer Assistant: Kurt Clarke Number of Participants: 12 Neighborhood / Borough: Harlem, Manhattan

CYPRESS HILLS FULTON STREET SENIOR CENTER

Modality: Clay Sculpture Culmination Medium: Final Exhibit Number of Sessions: 18 Year: 2 Teaching Artist: Lisa Lincoln Volunteer Assistant: Guy Lawrence Number of Participants: 14 Neighborhood/Borough: Cypress Hills, Brooklyn “This program taught me anything is possible. And my imagination taught me to put it into clay sculpture.” ~ Elder participant

CULTURAL IMMIGRANT INITIATIVE A HUGE

THANK YOU To Councilman Rafael Espinal of the 37th District of New York City and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs for the opportunity to work with the wonderful community of Cypress Hills in Brooklyn!

CYPRESS HILLS HOUSES SENIOR CENTER

Modality: Plastic Fiber Arts Culmination Medium: Final Exhibit Number of Sessions: 8 Year: 1 Teaching Artist: Antonia Perez Number of Participants: 12 Neighborhood/Borough: Cypress Hills, Brooklyn

History Alive!

SELFHELP BENJAMIN ROSENTHAL INNOVATIVE SENIOR CENTER in partnership with P.S. 24 ANDREW JACKSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Modality: Theater Culmination Medium: Performance Number of Sessions: 14 Year: 20 Teaching Artist: Marsha Gildin Number of Participants: 36 Elders: 10 Youth: 26 Neighborhood/Borough: Flushing, Queens

“The ESTA program let me know that elders are caring and fun. The thing I will never forget about ESTA is the acts of kindness and the legacies the elders passed on, showed, and told us. I’d never received a legacy from an elder before.” ~Student participant

TILDEN SENIOR CENTER in partnership with MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR ART AND PHILOSOPHY Modality: Theater Culmination Medium: Performance Number of Sessions: 15 Year: 4 Teaching Artist: Margo Brooks Volunteer Assistant: Jacklyn Rosa Number of Participants: 10 Elders: 2 Youth: 8 Neighborhood/Borough: Brownsville, Brooklyn

After a performance at the school for classmates, the participants also did a special tour performance at the senior center!

RESILIENCE

PEP FOR SENIORS in partnership with THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB Modality: Writing Culmination Medium: Performance & Anthology Number of Sessions: 10 Year: 6 Teaching Artist: Nina Gabriele-Cuva Number of Participants: 20 Elders: 14 Youth: 6 Neighborhood/Borough: Parkchester, Bronx

by an Elder participant “We begin in need, then wonder, then curiosity.

Life is a learning experience as we grow.

We make friends, we play, and we laugh with joy.

Life is a learning experience as we grow.

We find ourselves, expose ourselves, and design our future.

Life is a learning experience.

We will have disappointments, and suffer losses, And there is always one regret, because existence is not without pain.

Life is a learning experience as we grow.

As time pasts, we are able to remember, with the ability to accept.

Because life is a learning experience, We learn to live and love again, by being thankful and looking forward.�

LANGSTON HUGHES SENIOR CENTER in partnership with MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR ART AND PHILOSOPHY

Modality: Theater Culmination Medium: Performance Number of Sessions: 14 Year: 2 Teaching Artist: Clark Jackson Number of Participants: 26 Elders: 4 Youth: 22 Neighborhood/Borough: Brownsville, Brooklyn

JASA FAMILY FRIENDLY SENIOR CENTER in partnership with GRAND STREET SETTLEMENT Modality: Theater Culmination Medium: Final Sharing Number of Sessions: 10 Year: 2 Teaching Artist: Robin Bady Volunteer Assistant: Qianqian Chen Number of Participants: 15 Elders: 3 Youth: 12 Neighborhood/Borough: Bushwick, Brooklyn

JASA CONEY ISLAND ACTIVE AGING in partnership with I.S. 303 HERBERT S. EISENBERG

Modality: Wearable Art Culmination Medium: Fashion Show / Presentation Number of Sessions: 10 Year: 3 Teaching Artist: Ray Lin Number of Participants: 17 Elders: 6

“Mrs. Ayesha Mohammed recalled a

Youth: 11

quote I had said early on about art and

Neighborhood/Borough: Coney Island, Brooklyn

art making: ‘If you are so stuck on what you cannot do, you will never see what you can do.’ And this stuck with her in her art- making experience. She had never thought of herself as a creative person before our class and afterwards found that she could learn the skills that allowed her to be an artist.” ~Teaching Artist

Arts and Memory NEW YORK MEMORY CENTER Modality: Theater Improvisation Culmination Medium: Performance Number of Sessions: 20 Year: 5 Teaching Artist: Kate Bell Number of Participants: 6 Neighborhood/Borough: Park Slope, Brooklyn “Sometimes known as the member that it was the most difficult to get to play, when Alex put on a troll mask for the final sharing, he really came alive and played his character wonderfully. He often is moved to tears, too, when I leave, telling me how much he loves me and the Improv class.� ~Teaching Artist

Pearls of Wisdom

Sites: Jane Bailey Memorial Garden – NYRP • Gil Hodges Community Garden – NYRP • Garden of Hope – NYRP • Duncon Genns Apartments • The Birch Wathen Lenox School • ART NY • Middle School of Art & Philosophy • Langston Hughes Senior Center • Seagate Rehab and Nursing • Village Community School • BRIC Media • St. Thomas • Selfhelp Virtual Members of Pearls of Wisdom: 15 Number of Audience Members: 1118 • Virtual Audience Members: 20

Total Programs Served 13%

Total Programs Served: 13 44%

43%

History Alive!

Legacy Arts

History Alive!

6

Legacy Arts

6

Arts and Memory

1

Arts and Memory

Total Unduplicated Participants Total Unduplicated Participants Served: 184 4%

History Alive!

29%

Legacy Arts

67%

Arts and Memory History Alive!

Legacy Arts

53 8

Arts and Memory

Community Audience Members 2% 10% 27%

123

Community Audience Members: 1823 Pearls of Wisdom

61%

Pearls of Wisdom

History Alive!

Legacy Arts

Arts and Memory

1118

ďƒ Virtual: 35 History Alive!

500

Legacy Arts

175

Arts and Memory

30

FINAL TOTAL SERVED*: 2,022 (*Participants, Pearls of Wisdom, and Community Audience Members)

Participant Gender (Elders) 20%

Participant Gender (Elders) : 111

80% Men

Men

22

Women

89

Women

Programs by Art Form 8%

Programs by Art Form: 13 31%

46% 15%

Theater/Improv

Writing

Visual Arts

Theater/Improv

4

Writing

2

Visual Arts

6

Storytelling

1

Storytelling

Programs by Borough Programs by Borough: 13

8% 31%

Brooklyn

46% 15%

Theater/Improv

Writing

Visual Art

Storytelling

9

Bronx

1

Queens

1

Manhattan

2

THANK YOU! We could not have done all this wonderful work without the support of: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council; Offices of the Manhattan & Brooklyn Borough Presidents; Councilmember Rafael L. Espinal; The National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; Blick Art Materials; Stephen Colbert Americone Dream Foundation; Michael Tuch Foundation; Laura B. Volger Foundation; Solomon E. Summerfield Foundation; UJA Federation; the Brooklyn Arts Council; The Berk Family Foundation; Joan Mitchell Foundation; Mary Duke Biddle Foundation; Deutsche Bank Foundation, New York Community Trust; The Bay and Paul Foundation

THIS REPORT WAS CREATED BY JEANNA SUNG