|
Commuters racing through the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal may now have reason to pause and reflect – on something with as much depth and breadth as human nature.
And who better to spark reflections on human nature than those who have lived the longest: our elders.
Seniors from the STAR Senior Center have displayed their artwork at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in an exhibit titled “Human Nature: Reflections on Identity and Environment.”
The exhibit was curated by Celia Caro and Paul Ferrara, the teaching artists who provided guidance and instruction to a group of about 10 seniors. Caro and Ferrara taught weekly art lessons in portrait and landscape painting and drawing and instructed seniors in the use of Sumi ink, acrylic, oil paint and papier-mâché.
Ferrara said that his instruction to the students was more of an exploration of creativity, while Caro’s instruction tended to be technique-driven.
The exhibit moves seamlessly from landscape to self-portrait, however the boundaries between human identity and environment are not completely distinct. Identity appears in artists’ renderings of their homelands. People are nestled into pictures of places. Elements of the environment are folded into the creases of aged faces. A smattering of pine-needles forms a grizzly beard and eyebrows on one mask.
One of the featured artists, Marcos Torres, painted the town he comes from in Ecuador. The other featured artist, Sandra Kalfus, painted a view within Fort Tryon Park.
Ferrara said he has seen the seniors he works with change most in their confidence level. They now look at each other’s artwork with a creative eye, and ask each other questions.
David Johnson, the Director of STAR Senior Center, said Caro and Ferrara’s teaching has taken the seniors out of their element. Johnson said the seniors now try things they wouldn’t have tried before.
“This is a testament to the people we’ve engaged,” said Ferrara. “They’re striving for more in life. They’re trying to learn.”
The exhibit will remain on display through January 15, 2011, at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal Exhibition Cases at 178th Street and Broadway. For more information, contact David Johnson at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
|
