Blog archive
May 2024
Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024
Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024
Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024
No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024
An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024
Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024
Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024
The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024
Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024
April 2024
Rumor of Humor #2410
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2411
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2412
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2413
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2414
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2415
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2416
04/28/2024
Stimulated by "Caste"
04/22/2024
Tulsa reparations, Religion and Politics
04/09/2024
March 2024
Trumps War with Black Women
03/31/2024
Addressing The Needs of Older Adults Through Pasadena Village
03/25/2024
Coming Soon: More Resources for Older Americans, Online and in Person
03/25/2024
Community Building Locally and Nationally
03/25/2024
Preparing for the Future with Ready or Not
03/25/2024
Volunteering is at The Heart of the Village
03/25/2024
Women's Liberation: Then and Now
03/25/2024
Writing Memoirs Together
03/25/2024
Current Views on Current Events
03/20/2024
Unchained
03/18/2024
Rumr of Humor issue # 2409
03/10/2024
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
03/03/2024
Rumor of Humor #2408
03/03/2024
February 2024
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
02/27/2024
Doug Colliflower Honored
02/27/2024
Great Decisions Connects Us to the Worldwide Community
02/27/2024
Letter from the President
02/27/2024
Pasadena Village's Impact
02/27/2024
The Power of Touch
02/27/2024
Villages as a New Approach to Aging
02/27/2024
Addressing Gang Violence in Pasadena-Altadena
02/21/2024
Rumor of Humor Issue 2407
02/19/2024
Thank You For Caring.
02/12/2024
Rumor of Humor 2405
02/11/2024
Curve Balls
02/10/2024
Sylvan Lane
02/10/2024
Rumor of Humor 2404
02/09/2024
Larry Duplechan, Blacks in Film
02/03/2024
January 2024
Pasadena Village Joins Community Partners in Vaccination Campaign
01/29/2024
Rumor of Humor #2403
01/28/2024
Pasadena Village Joins Two Healthy Aging Resource Projects
01/25/2024
Decluttering: Do It Now
01/24/2024
Village Volunteers Contribute to the Huntington Magic
01/24/2024
Villagers Creating Community
01/24/2024
Villagers Reflect on Black History Month
01/24/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
01/24/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2402
01/21/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2401
01/15/2024
Re- Entry Programs, a Personal Experience
01/08/2024
Creative Aging
By Katie BrandonPosted: 06/01/2023
Pasadena Village is thrilled to announce the launch of a new two-year Creative Aging initiative consisting of opportunities for older adults to engage with each other. This initiative promotes creativity and artistic expression and strives to combat the negative effects of isolation and improve mental health. It has been made possible with the generous support of the Navigage Foundation.
Karen Bagnard, an artist, educator, and village member, facilitates art workshops for non-artists where small groups of older adults create works together in a collaborative, supportive environment. Karen also hosts Creative Connections, an opportunity for older adults to share their artistic journeys. Older adults showcase their art, music, or other expressions and talk about their inspirations via an hour-long presentation. Recently, Glendale poet Sally Currie hosted a poetry reading on Zoom for all to enjoy her powerful way of conveying emotions with words. Later this month, member Melva Watts will talk about her musical life and the role music has played in her evolution. She grew up with music always in her life and said “as I've aged, I come to realize how important it has been in my life.”
Art exhibitions at Pasadena Village office also just relaunched. The first artist featured since the start of the pandemic was Jim Hendrick who recently relocated to Pasadena to be nearer to family. Currently, the work of Gordon Jansson (1938-2002) is on view at the village office. Village member Bruce Jansson, Gordon’s brother, is writing a book on his late brother who was a trained post-impressionist artist. Art exhibitions are accompanied by in-person and Zoom conversations with artists who have connections to the Pasadena area. We look forward to the unveiling of the next exhibition of a member’s work later this month.
On of the partners in Creative Aging is Pasadena-based nonprofit Clazzical Notes. Pasadena Village has partnered with them since Fall 2022. Clazzical Notes creates engaging, educational and experiential artistic performances that foster community understanding across diverse cultures, genres and generations. In May, village member Paula Rao invited Clazzical Notes founder and director Jerri Price-Gaines to bring a concert to Paula’s lovely backyard. Spanish guitarist Luis Villegas and flamenco dancer Arleen Hurado entertained over 25 members and friends with the beautiful traditions from Spain and Latin America.
Older adults stay involved and engaged through excursions to local theater, cultural and art exhibitions, and museums. Recently, Village members carpooled to the Hollyhock House – a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Hollywood – and the LA Phil, and upcoming outings include the Pasadena POPs, LA Opera, and summer concerts at Farnsworth Park, among many others. Most village offerings are free, and group rates and offerings such as LA Opera’s Community Circle program, reduce the costs for many of the outings. Also, lower income members are invited to pay-what-you-wish for ticketed events, making these excursions as accessible as possible.
The Creative Aging initiative also encompasses ongoing artistic gatherings, including memoir writing small groups, and the Cultural Explorations Group (CEG) a monthly potluck where older adults reflect on a poem, short story, or artwork. The CEG potluck in May featured a discussion of the short story "Such Great Height and Consequences" by Kelsey Norris.
This Friday, Helane Rheingold will return with another focus of Conversations with Art – with art from western Africa. Helane guides attendees through selected works of art and shares techniques on how to look at, interpret, and analyze them. Rheingold describes the historical events and personal experiences of each artist, and contextualizes what they brought to their canvases. This free Zoom program is part of the 1619 Discussion group which is always free and open to the public.
Next week, on June 6 Creative Spark is offering a free presentation on Zoom exploring the benefits of creative pursuits. Village Movement California, the state-wide coalition of villages, introduced Pasadena Village members to Creative Spark consultants who facilitate interactive the workshop based on creative aging research.
Creative Aging program partners and topics are intentionally selected to provide opportunities for individuals to express themselves, and are designed to let participants learn from each other and share their reflections with each other. Creative engagement strategies will create opportunities for older adults to share their values, experiences, and reflections with each other.
Since programming is member-led and Pasadena Village offers the support for older adults to gather on Zoom or in-person, it is immediately responsive to older adults’ needs. If you are interested in attending more creative programs or being involved in the planning and partnerships necessary to offer more engaging events, please contact Executive Director Katie Brandon at katie@pasadenavillage.org or call the Village Office at 626-765-6037. We would love to have you involved!