An Exhibition of Music, Art and Friendship

At Alexandria Adult Day Services Center (AADSC), a dedicated group of women have embraced art-making with arms wide open.  They participate in biweekly workshops with AFTA Teaching Artist Carol Siegel.  Carol practices Expressive Arts Therapy which integrates arts modalities like poetry, storytelling and painting to promote growth and healing.  The women soared under Carol’s guidance.  And at an exhibition of their work at the Alexandria Black History Museum in April, their enthusiasm for creativity was evident – and contagious!

ARTISTS FROM THE ALEXANDRIA ADULT DAY SERVICES CENTER WITH STAFF MEMBER JACKIE MCCORD AND AFTA TEACHING ARTIST CAROL SIEGEL
ARTISTS FROM THE ALEXANDRIA ADULT DAY SERVICES CENTER WITH STAFF MEMBER JACKIE MCCORD AND AFTA TEACHING ARTIST CAROL SIEGEL

The artists’ faces shone with pride at the exhibition opening on April 28.  They were joined by  staff and friends from their center, family members and local arts enthusiasts.  Carol Siegel shared stories behind the art projects featured in the exhibition.  On display were paintings inspired by Mozart’s Twelve Variations on “Ah vous dirai-je, Maman” – also known as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.  These pieces were created during an intergenerational program with teacher Elizabeth Lane and piano students at Episcopal High School in Virginia.  You can learn more about that program in our book, What We Saw Today.

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Each artist had several pieces on display, including a series of self-portraits.  or one self-portrait, the artists embellished a black and white photo of their image with color and texture, encouraged by Carol to let their true personalities show.  Each artist also drafted a personal biography that included how the arts had touched their lives.

“I was born in Washington, D.C. I am the oldest sister of seven children.  I like artwork.  It’s good and fun to do. When I look at my artwork it makes me happy because it is something I created.”

Ivah

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“I was an usher at Trinity AME Church in Newberry, South Carolina.  I was a teacher that taught arithmetic in the 3rd grade at Elizah Elementary School.  I had six children – three boys and three girls.  I feel good about myself and since I can’t sing anymore I just hum, and when I do art I feel like I am doing things right.”

Mae Bell

Artists Gloria and Karla took to the podium to share how much the program had meant to them. Marilyn’s daughter, who attended the exhibition opening, expressed surprise that her usually reserved mother agreed to speak with such enthusiasm.

ARTIST KARLA SPEAKS TO THE GUESTS AT THE EXHIBITION OPENING WITH AFTA TEACHING ARTIST CAROL SIEGEL AND ELIZABETH LANE
ARTIST KARLA SPEAKS TO THE GUESTS AT THE EXHIBITION OPENING WITH AFTA TEACHING ARTIST CAROL SIEGEL AND ELIZABETH LANE

“Art has always been an important part of my life.  Encouraged by my parents, I have turned to art as an enrichment and a friend as time flies by.  I am so thankful to Carol Siegel and the Alexandria Adult Day Services Center staff for renewing my imagination and creative “juices” which has taken a back seat in the circle of life.  My wish is to instill the love of creativity in my beautiful grandchildren.  Everyone knows that life begins at 67!”

Karla

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(L-R) AUDREY DAVIS (ALEXANDRIA BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM), KIM DAVIS (AADSC), BRANDI ROSE (AFTA PROGRAM DIRECTOR), JACKIE MCCORD (AADSC), CAROL SIEGEL (AFTA TEACHING ARTIST)

Thank you to those who helped make this exhibition a success.  Special thanks to Audrey Davis at the Black History Museum for inviting AFTA to exhibit and for your continued support of our artists.  Thank you to Jackie McCord at the Alexandria Adult Day Services Center for working tirelessly to create a special experience.  And of course, to Carol Siegel for kindling the creativity of those who, in some cases, have been told they are not artists, or that their time for learning new skills has passed.  We are all artists!

Update: Read a wonderful article about our exhibition in the Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services newsletter.


MAY 17, 2015: You play, seniors win.

Arts for the Aging hosted its 25th Anniversary Lolo Sarnoff Memorial Tennis Tournament at beautiful Bretton Woods, in Germantown, Maryland.  The mixed doubles round robin matches and finals were followed by celebrity exhibition matches with Chi Wan Kim, Dan Waldman, and Manny Ortiz, and junior champions Shannon Hanley, Lilly Lynham, Elizabeth Scoffy and Karla Portalatin.  Proceeds support AFTA’s award-winning arts engagement programs for seniors.  At the barbeque and awards reception, congratulations went to tournament winners Diane Straus and Jim Faruki (Flight A) and Jodi Castro and Russ Ridings (Flight B).  Success of the tournament would be impossible without a dedicated committee co-chaired by Bill Weber and Jim Faruki, joined by Rob Arner, Stacey Freeman-Gottfried, Rich Gottfried, Alan Hermesch, Rose Hobson, Marianne Manschrek, Kuni Matsuda, Cherrie Orteza, Joan Ronnenberg, Suzanne Shwetz.  To our generous sponsors, our sincere appreciation: Silver ($1,000+), The Honorable and Mrs. Kingdon Gould, Jr., KONTERRA/Gould Property; Bronze ($500+), Don and Nancy Bliss, Garry Perkins/Accelerated Development and Support Corporation, Ace ($300+), Kuni Matsuda, and Paul Meehan/Edgemoor Investment Advisors, Inc.  To our additional contributors including Rob Arner, Citi Open, Gingles, LLC, Ann Keiser and our volunteer Carisse Phillips, many thanks.  View photos from the event here and the event program here. 


February 11, 2015: AFTA Hours launches

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Celebrating the season of love — of family, friends, partners, companions — friends of Arts for the Aging gathered together at Slate Wine Bar + Bistro in D.C. for the first in a series of AFTA Hours Dinners that will feature demonstrations of our award-winning programs, tastings of specially selected wines and delectable food tastings, all in the name of AFTA’s terrific cause.   Stay tuned for more artful, culinary experiences like this one.


JANUARY 14, 2015: Capricorn Party

Under the gracious patronage of the Embassy of France, friends and admirers of the late founder of AFTA, Lolo Sarnoff, gathered together with Arts for the Aging to commemorate her remarkable life and legacy.  The “Capricorn Party” was so named after the grande dame’s legendary annual birthday celebration. A slide show of photographs depicting Lolo over decades was the backdrop to guests who paid tribute during an open-mike with stories and fond recollections of the beloved Swiss-German artist, scientist and philanthropist.  AFTA’s teaching artists led the crowd in a rendition of Johnny Mercer’s Too Marvelous for Words and saluted the founder with her personal favorite, Johann Strauss’ The Blue Danube Waltz. Many expressed solidarity with France in light of recent tragic events in Paris.  We could not have hosted an evening so befitting to Lolo’s elegance and finesse were it not for Ambassador Gerard Araud and all at the Embassy of France.  Among her many accolades, honorary doctorates and awards, in 2008, Lolo Sarnoff was named by the French Government a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her dedication to science, the arts and cultural life in Washington.  For this His Excellency Pierre Vimont declared so beautifully our mutual admiration for Lolo’s “uprightness, resolve and generosity.” For event photos from Gene Carl Feldman, visit our Flikr stream here.