FREE Exhibit Celebrates the Intergenerational Artistic Achievements of Philadelphia Youth and Seniors on display through May 26
PHILADELPHIA, May 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The art of seniors, young people and professional artists from the region was unveiled today at a reception celebrating the opening of the 2nd Annual "Art is Ageless" exhibit open Monday- Friday between noon and 4 p.m. through May 26, 2010 at The Skybox Gallery, 2424 East York St.
On display throughout Older Americans Month, the FREE exhibit showcases the artwork produced during the 2009 NewCourtland Artist Fellowship. Launched in 2008 in collaboration with the Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA), the NewCourtland Artist Fellowship is an annual arts competition that attracts some of the region's top artists, who vie for the opportunity to facilitate an intergenerational art project that bridges area youth and seniors served by the NewCourtland Network.
The NewCourtland Artist Fellowship is a premier program of Comfort & Joy™, an intergenerational arts and cultural initiative founded in 1998 that serves as the "art & soul" of NewCourtland preventing social isolation among the seniors it serves while celebrating the talents and experiences of all generations.
"Research demonstrates the positive impact of therapeutic recreational activities upon the physical and mental health of older adults," said Pam Mammarella, Vice President of Corporate Communications, NewCourtland and founder of Comfort & Joy™. "This project also demonstrates in a moving way the vast impact older generations can continue to have upon the community as young and old work together to create remarkable works of art that are inspiring to all."
"We are especially grateful to NewCourtland for the privilege of sharing the gift of art with the seniors NewCourtland has made its mission to serve," said Holly Lentz Kleeman, CEO of CFEVA. "This project clearly portrays the role of the arts in creating communities for all ages."
The 2009 NewCourtland Artist Fellows were: Maria Anasazi, Marguerita Hagan, Pedro Ospina, Diane Podolsky, Antonio Puri, Rachel Shoham, Lindsay Sparagana, Ben Volta, Lisa Volta and Mariel Waloff.
The seniors who participated in the 2009 NewCourtland Artist Fellowship were from 10 different locations within the NewCourtland Network: Care Pavilion (West Philly); Cheltenham York Road (East Oak Lane); Cliveden (Germantown/Mt. Airy);Germantown Home (Germantown/Mt. Airy); Kearsley (West Philadelphia); Maplewood Manor (Germantown/Mt. Airy); NewCourtland LIFE program located in PHA's Germantown House (Germantown/Mt. Airy); Philadelphia Senior Center-Main Branch (Center City); Philadelphia Senior Center-Tioga Branch (North Philadelphia) and Tucker House (North Philadelphia).
The students participating in the 2009 NewCourtland Artist Fellowship were from: Blair Christian Academy (Germantown/Mt. Airy); Kenderton Elementary (North Philadelphia); Methodist Services for Children in Families of Greater Philadelphia (West Philadelphia); Moore College of Art (Center City); Northern Home for Children (Roxborough); and The University of the Arts (Center City).
The reception concluded with an announcement of the 2010 NewCourtland Artist Fellowship winners, who are: Maria Anasazi, Collette Fu, Laureen Griffin, Marguerita Hagan, Christopher Hartshorne, Keir Johnston, Delia King, Melissa Maddonni Haims, Abby Schmidt and Michelle Wilson.
All will receive a stipend to facilitate intergenerational arts projects throughout the NewCourtland Network this summer.
About NewCourtland
NewCourtland serves as a leading non-profit provider of community services, affordable senior housing, nursing homes and innovative programming that support new models of care by combining highly trained, compassionate and friendly staff, with easy-to-use assistive technology and supportive services to meet the needs of the nation's growing aging population. For more information, visit www.newcourtland.org or call 1-888-530-4913.
About CFEVA
The mission of CFEVA is to advance the careers of visual artists in the region, to promote relationships between artists and the communities in which they live and to increase access to visual art for everyone. Visit www.cfeva.org or call 215-546-7775 for more information.
SOURCE NewCourtland
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