From January through June 2017, Brooklyn artists in the SU-CASA program worked with seniors to explore the arts in multiple disciplines, bringing mixed media, painting, ceramics, quilting, theater, dance, music, photography, and storytelling to sixteen senior centers across the borough. Each SU-CASA residency culminates in a public performance or exhibition. This year almost 2,000 seniors and their families attended performances, exhibits, and parties celebrating the seniors' artistic work. Below are a few artist reflections on the remarkable achievements of the participants.
"The seniors and I became very close. They said I brought them joy and made them feel young again and I made them look forward to getting up in the morning. They did the same for me! My attendance numbers were remarkable. The majority of the time my classes were full with over 15 participants. We even had to get a second attendance sheet to fill. It was incredible! Seniors who were unable to move certain parts of their body with ease became more flexible. Seniors who use to be tired and out of breath had more stamina. Seniors who used to scowl began to smile. They were truly special." -Laci Chisholm Dance Teaching Artist, Cypress Hills- Fulton Street Senior Center.
Grace Agard Harewood Senior Center
"The final shows were a triumph. Participants felt confident and excited to share. Many were natural storytellers and all possessed extraordinary charm. They often helped each other in the coaching process. Both shows were well attended! The first performance had seven performers and 40 audience members. The second had eight performers and 53 audience members. In addition, one of our storytellers, Ellis the Nazarene, who is a Jazz musician played music as pre-show entertainment and started both shows by singing a song that he had written a number of years ago entitled "The Story's Being Told." It was a perfect start to two stunning presentations." -Cynthia Freeman, Storytelling Teaching Artist, Grace Agard Senior Center.
Jay-Harama Senior Center
"The primarily Chinese-American seniors very much enjoyed learning about the elements of Jewish and Israeli folk dance embedded in the movement. The singing group learned to sing 'Sunrise, Sunset,' 'Matchmaker,' and 'Tradition,' in a combination of Cantonese and English. I worked with the center's music teacher to convert the musical notation of 'Sunrise, Sunset' into jianpu notation so that she could accompany the seniors on the yueqin, or traditional Chinese lute. I also interviewed a dozen center members about their childhood memories and traditional family roles to create an alternate version of the lyrics to 'Tradition' reflecting the seniors' own experiences. The trilingual nature of the program (Mandarin, Cantonese, and English) was extremely successful and brought together members of the community that had not otherwise had opportunities to connect." -Michael Leibenluft, Theater Teaching Artist, Jay-Harama Senior Center.
Diana H. Jones Senior Center
"The program featured drumming and rhythm-making on hand drums and percussion, as well as singing and songwriting. At times we did not have space for all of those who wanted to join us. This residency incorporated music in both English and Spanish, by singing some familiar songs relevant to the group's experience, such as a Puerto Rican traditional 'bomba' tune, as well as American songs from the 1950s and 60s. The participants were very enthusiastic about playing percussion instruments. Some of them also really enjoyed the vocal exercises, and many of them remarked to me how much they were learning in the program. Many of them actually came and saw me perform outside of the senior center with my performing group as well." -Dawn Drake, Music Teaching Artist, Ridgewood Bushwick Diana H. Jones Senior Center.
Jasa Starrett City Senior Center
"The project began as a workshop in portrait painting, in which a different seniors would volunteer to sit for a portrait and I guided other participants in learning how to paint a portrait from life. We started by walking through the center, the director Angela Blyakher and I, and inviting individuals to paint. Once we got rolling, we generated about four portraits per session, one per person. I would rotate the paintings from person to person during the process, removing responsibility and ego attachment from each painting, and liberating the clients to experiment and make mistakes. I participated in the painting process and work on each painting with all the students together. Ruth Horowitz said, 'You've opened up a lot of possibilities for us' which for me, is high praise coming from a 92 year old." -Rusty Zimmerman, Painting Teaching Artist, Jasa Starrett City Senior Center.
BAC is proud that participating seniors found our programs to be highly engaging and transformational!
Learn more about BAC Arts in Education.
Photo: Rhythm and Songwriting at Diana H. Jones Senior Center with Teaching Artist Dawn Drake. Photos appear courtesy of BAC Arts in Education Manager Wéma Harris.
