Blog archive
October 2024
ARBORIST WALK: NOT FOR TREE HUGGERS ONLY!
10/29/2024
Bill Wishner: Visual Hunter
10/29/2024
Can a Village Group Fix Our Healthcare System?
10/29/2024
Community Board Directors Strengthen Village Board
10/29/2024
Connecting with Village Connections: The A, B, C, & D’s of Medicare @ 65+
10/29/2024
Grief is a Journey: Two Paths Taken
10/29/2024
Message from the President
10/29/2024
Promoting Informed & Involved Voters
10/29/2024
What Will Be Your Legacy?
10/29/2024
1619, Approaching the Election...
10/27/2024
Beyond and Within the Village - A Star is Born
10/17/2024
Happiness by Priscilla Leonard
10/11/2024
Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
10/11/2024
Unpainted Door by Louise Gluck
10/11/2024
In the Evening by Billy Collins
10/10/2024
Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
10/10/2024
Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024
Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024
Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024
September 2024
Connecting with Village Connections
09/30/2024
Betty Kilby, A Family History
09/27/2024
Reflection on Life
09/20/2024
Expanding the Possibilities
09/19/2024
Need a Ride? No Problem!
09/17/2024
Security When Aging (Especially If You Are Single)
09/17/2024
The Bridge Begins at Thanksgiving
09/17/2024
The Power of Collective Service: Putting the Village First
09/17/2024
Tino Melchor - A Mentor for Young Teens in the Making
09/17/2024
Village Party Bus Delivers FUN
09/17/2024
We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know: That’s Why We Have Educational Programs
09/17/2024
On Rereading Tolle by Ed Rinderle
09/10/2024
Autumn Leaves
09/09/2024
August 2024
1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024
1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024
First Anniversary
08/19/2024
Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024
Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024
The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024
Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024
Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024
Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024
Future Housing Options
08/15/2024
Message from the President
08/15/2024
There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024
Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024
A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024
Haikus
08/13/2024
One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024
Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024
Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024
July 2024
Alma Stokes, The Struggle in Pasadena
07/25/2024
A Poetry Gathering: Liberating Experiences Available
07/19/2024
Civil Rights Movement Series
07/19/2024
Happy Hours in Pasadena: A Villager’s Perspective
07/19/2024
Pasadena Village and the National Dialogue on Villages and Healthy Aging Research
07/19/2024
President's Message
07/19/2024
The Kern River Rafting Caper
07/19/2024
The Village Artists Group creates creative camaraderie
07/19/2024
An Example of Inherent Racism
07/14/2024
Current, Upcoming Events
07/04/2024
June 2024
No Real Recourse For Discrimination
06/30/2024
A Personal Statement of Strength and Well-Being
06/25/2024
Juneteenth Reflections
06/24/2024
Reflections on 2023-2025
06/21/2024
Reactions and Reflections Re: Juneteenth
06/19/2024
As Our Organization Grows, Villagers Recall Personal Highlights
06/17/2024
From the Outgoing President
06/17/2024
Letter from the Incoming President: Beginning Our ‘Lagniappe’ Year
06/17/2024
The Editorial Team Looks Back: Creating the Voice of the Village
06/17/2024
This Year's Resource Fair was the Most Successful Ever
06/17/2024
Telling the Whole Story
06/12/2024
Nashville
06/10/2024
May 2024
Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024
Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024
Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024
Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024
Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024
Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024
Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024
Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024
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
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
By Richard MyersPosted: 03/03/2024
On the first Friday of March, March 1, Helane Rhinegold presented another in her wonderful series "Conversations with Art." This time her subject was "Black Artists Portrayed by European Artists Through the Decades." This presentation was recorded and is available for viewing on the Pasadena Village YouTube Channel. In her usual approach, Helane displays a particular piece of art to discuss and then converses with the audience about the piece. She encourages the viewers describe what they see in the work and how it affects them, which sometimes produces surprising results. She also provides information about the work itself such as when and in what context it was produced often naming the model and providing historical information about how it was received in its own time. For example:
St. Maurice 1520 Lucas Cranach the Elder
- Paint on wood, represents a Commander of the Roman Legion who was Egyptian. Over time,
representations of St. Maurice have tended to represent him as European.
Metropolitan Museum
Man Wearing a Turban Date unknown Karel van Mander lll (1625-1670)
- Artist was from Delft. Represents a North African man who is shown as confident and proud.
Copenhagen
Portrait of Jan Valkenburgh 1660 Daniel Vertangen
- Valkenbaugh was the Governor of Dutch Gold Coast, Angola today. This area of Africa was very important to the slave trade. Valkenbaugh is shown as a soldier.
Amsterdam
Youth in Embroidered Vest 1785 Marie Lempine
- "Bust portrait" of a young Black male wearing fancy clothing. The artist was a woman who supported
herself with her artwork. The subject was a child named Emok who was a house slave in the home
of Madame DuBarry.
Paris
Othello 1826 William Mulready
- Portrait of a Black actor, Ira Aldrige. He was the first Black Shakespearean actor who was unable to make a career in the United States and moved to England where he enjoyed success as an actor.
Baltimore
The Captive Slave 1827 John Simpson
- The model for this portrait was Ira Aldrige. Xrays of this portrait reveal two under paintings suggesting
the portrait was painted for the artist not a patron.
Chicago
Olympia 1886 Eduord Manet
- Portrait of a courtesan with a Black maid presenting her with flowers. The painting created a
scandal in Paris and was never purchased during the artist's lifetime.
Paris
Bashir Bazouk 1869 Jean Leone Gerome
- Portrait of a mercenary soldier from North Africa wearing or holding items plundered during war.
Metropolitan
Young Woman with Peonies 1870 Fredric Bazille
- Model was the same person as Manet used in Olympia.
Thomas McKeller Date unknown John Singer Sargent (1871-1921)
- Nude male portrait, anatomy study. Model was a hotel doorman who the artist used as a model for 15 years.
Boston
Helane has done a number of presentations for us over the last year and they are available on our YouTube Channel for your convenience. We encourage you to browse our channel to enjoy these other presentations.
We are looking forward to the next few months and the upcoming 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer in August. This was a very important period of time in our history as the events and activities in this period are considered to have had a major impact on changes that took place within our society. We will be announcing our schedule of presentations in future posts.
For our next presentation which will take place on Friday, March 15 at noon, I would like to suggest a discussion about a short film that has been nominated for an Oscar for a short documentary film. The film is available on YouTube and is named "The Barber of Little Rock." It is 34 minutes long so it is not difficult to watch. The film has also been written up in a New Yorker article. This black barber started a barber college on the black side of the freeway in town and has graduated hundreds of barbers into the community. After accomplishing that, he started a CDFI (Commuity Development Financial Institution) using a government program that was created for that purpose and is now making small personal and business loans in his neighborhood. The video illustrates the divide between the white side of the freeway and the black side, and illuminates the difficulties that are faced by the residents directly resulting from institutional factors. The film does a wonderful job raising awareness of the plight of people who work hard to acheive something but are swimming against a constant tide. This film provides a lot of material for discussions about discrimination, institutional structures, and reparations, among other things. We would like to hear what you think after viewing this film.
As always, our discussions are open to guests and anyone needing information about upcoming events is invited to contact at our office at info@pasadenavillage.org or at (626) 765 - 6037.