SPECIAL ISSUE: THE POWER OF CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT
REBRANDING AGING®
A HISTORIC TOWN WHERE THE ARTS REALLY MATTER. SOMETIMES, IT’S THE CAREGIVERS WHO NEED CARE.
8 OVER 80
THESE VETERAN ARTISTS SAY THEY’RE BETTER THAN EVER. Harold Garde, 94, abstract expressionist
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CONTENTS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
ART IS
LIFE DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
5 | FROM THE EDITOR
24 | 8 OVER 80 Active octogenarians stay young through creativity.
30 | THE TAKEAWAY Through the arts, we can make meaning and memory across generations. By Margery Pabst Steinmetz
10 4 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
BY MARC MIDDLETON
SPECIAL ISSUE: THE POWER OF CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT
REBRANDING AGING®
A HISTORIC TOWN WHERE THE ARTS REALLY MATTER. SOMETIMES, IT’S THE CAREGIVERS WHO NEED CARE.
8 OVER 80 WINTER PARK’S INSPIRING NEW MISSION Explore the city dedicated to bringing arts and culture to all. By Jackie Carlin and Michael McLeod
THESE VETERAN ARTISTS SAY THEY’RE BETTER THAN EVER. Harold Garde, 94, abstract expressionist
ON THE COVER: At 94, Harold Garde feels that his best work is still to come. Photo by Walter Smalling
JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
PHOTO BY WALTER SMALLING (TOP OF PAGE)
6
Creative engagement is shown to have lifeenhancing and lifeextending benefits.
FROM THE EDITOR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marc Middleton MANAGING EDITOR Jackie Carlin ASSOCIATE EDITORS Katy Widrick, Bill Shafer CONTRIBUTING WRITER Michael McLeod ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY Walter Smalling, Rafael Tongol, Winter Park Pictures (winterparkpictures.com) DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION Jason Morrow, Pat Narciso, Josh Doolittle, Mike Nanus DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Jill Middleton
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CEO Randy Noles ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Edmunds CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Harry Wessel Winter Park Publishing Company’s Family of Publications: COMMUNITY UPDATES: VOLUSIA COUNTY AND WINTER PARK NEW PUBLIC-SCHOOL GRADES
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artsLife
WINTER 2017
O
WINTER PARKERS WANT TO STAY PUT
ne of the shared aspirations of aging Americans is to age in place. Nine in 10 adults over 65 say they’d prefer to stay in their current residences as they grow older. The key to successful aging in place is as much, if not more, about the community that surrounds and supports its residents as the architecture or amenities inside the homes. Every city in America should aspire to become a community in which older residents never want to leave — which is why we’re featuring the City of Winter Park, Florida, in this special issue of Growing Bolder Magazine. Winter Park is a unique and special place — a small, charming, world-class city of great natural beauty that exudes history, culture, art and opportunity. Not surprisingly, few who live in Winter Park are planning to move someplace else. Fortunately, the City of Winter Park and organizations such as the Winter Park Health Foundation and the Pabst Foundation work tirelessly to provide the kind of resources and support that make the aptly named “City of Culture and Heritage” one of the most desirable aging-in-place communities anywhere in the world. Of course, healthcare and caregiving services are critical to successful aging in place — but one research study after another is confirming that creative engagement is also foundational to healthy aging and active longevity. Seventeen nonprofit arts and culture organizations, all of which offer programming to the public, are the heart and soul of Winter Park’s extensive and diverse efforts to provide opportunities for such engagement. You’ve heard the old African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” It can appropriately be modified to, “It takes a village to age in place.” And we believe it takes a village like Winter Park, which is focused on opportunities for lifelong creative engagement. As Picasso famously said, “As one grows old, life and art become one and the same.”
Inside Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts
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Marc Middleton, Editor-in-Chief marcmiddleton@growingbolder.com G R O W I N G B O L D E R 5
ART LIFE IS
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CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT IS SHOWN TO HAVE LIFE-ENHANCING AND LIFE-EXTENDING BENEFITS.
Harold Garde, who splits his time between his two homes and studios in Belfast, Maine, and New Smyrna Beach, Florida, works at all hours and is living proof that creative ability has no age limit. GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
G R O W I N G B O L D E R  7
PHOTO BY WALTER SMALLING
BY MARC MIDDLETON
This wouldn’t be so unusual if Garde were a 24-year-old living in a loft in New York or San Francisco. But he’s 94, and splits his time between his two homes and studios in Belfast, Maine, and New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Garde is among the growing number of artists of all disciplines who prove that creative ability has no age limit, and the benefits of creative engagement are life enhancing and potentially life extending. One long-term study published in the Journal of Aging and Health examined a variety of personality traits, and concluded that only creativity confers significant lifeextending benefits. Subjects who demonstrated above-average creativity enjoyed a 12 percent decrease in mortality risk over an 18-year period, and a decreased risk of experiencing Alzheimer’s disease. Creativity is one of our most important human gifts. Anthropologists believe that man developed the ability to imagine things that didn’t exist — but possibly could — about 60,000 years ago. That led to the creation of mythology, gossip and eventually storytelling. This ability to fabricate stories and to imagine alternative scenarios led to the rapid evolution of our brains, and is responsible for all human progress. It’s our stories that changed our brains and ultimately our reality. It’s our innate creativity that separates us from all other animals. When we were kids, we were encouraged to develop our artistic natures. Art was part of the everyday curriculum in every elementary school in America. We drew, danced, sang, acted, wrote poems
Garde’s talent has been underappreciated for decades. But now he’s finally being recognized as one of the great abstract and figurative expressionists working today.
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PHOTOS BY WALTER SMALLING
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t’s the middle of the night and abstract expressionist Harold Garde has been awakened, once again, by the nagging voice of the only art critic he’s interested in pleasing — himself. “Did I really think that was finished?” he wonders. “I’d better wake up, get a cup of coffee and go to work.” And that’s what he does. He’s back in the studio at 3 a.m. trying to silence his inner critic.
and played musical instruments. But at some point, if we didn’t show what our teachers or parents believed to be exceptional ability, they took away our crayons so that we could get serious about the so-called “important” stuff. Fast forward 50 or 60 years and we’re learning that art is the important stuff. I first met Garde when he was 85, and the subject of a retrospective featuring paintings and prints from what was then six decades of work. “The first time I saw his work, I was blown away,” says curator Jeanne Dowis. “It was very confrontational, very aggressive, and I was like, ‘Wow, who is this guy? He must be 25 or 30 and the graduate of a great art school.’ They said, “No, he’s in his late 70s.’ I was dumbfounded.” Back in his Central Florida studio, Garde is now talking to a painting that just 24 hours ago was thought to be finished. “Damn it, talk to me!” he pleads. “I’ve been looking at you, and I’m not happy and you’re not happy. Tell me what’s needed here.” To Garde, every painting is a puzzle to be solved by making countless creative decisions: “How the canvas is split up? What is the relationship of mass to non-mass? How well is the atmosphere holding up? Is there a hole in the painting? Is there a place where the eye comes to rest where I don’t want it to? My paintings are never a particular place or a particular time. All of those elements are things that I tend to remove.” Any successful painter or composer will tell you that a blank canvas or blank sheet of music paper is simply a problem to be solved. People who are more creative are better problem solvers — better at taking what is, and constructing what can be. Creative thinkers are also better at adapting to circumstances, and dealing with functional limitations as they age. They aren’t as easily trapped by the challenges of aging. They’re able to find creative solutions that allow them to move forward and still enjoy their daily life, despite functional limitations. While the mechanism for the health benefits of creativity are not yet fully understood, most researchers believe it’s because creative thinking not only draws upon a variety of neural networks within the brain, it builds and integrates these networks. Gene Cohen, M.D., pioneered research into geriatric mental health, helping to GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
change the image of aging from one of senescence to a period of creativity and opportunity. “We’re actually empowered, intellectually and emotionally, as we grow older,” he told Growing Bolder Radio. “When the brain is fed new learning experiences, it continues to sprout new projections called dendrites — branchlike connectors critical to keeping our brains engaged and strong. The mature brain can actually flourish throughout our 80s, 90s and beyond.” Garde’s creative passion propels him out of bed every morning, but he doesn’t pretend that it’s an easy journey. In his studio, art is war — a constant battle with the canvas and the voices inside his head. At 94, he’s acutely aware that time is more precious than ever— but he refuses to spend less of it experimenting. “If I ever allowed myself to think that I have no time left to experiment, I would pack up everything,” he says. “The reason I paint is a combination of self-discovery and discovery about what paint and painting will do.” Garde’s talent has been underappreciated for decades, but in his mid-90s, he’s finally being recognized as one of the great abstract and figurative expressionists. Collectors and museums worldwide covet his paintings — but that does little to satisfy his need to grow and his never-ending belief that he can do better. “Every work that’s completed is like a scar, because the intention was to create something that far exceeded the end result,” he says. “So even though I take pleasure in what I’ve done, I still feel maybe my best work is yet to come.” While Garde is, admittedly, an exceptional talent with a relentless desire and willingness to engage in the creative process, he’s also an example that creativity is not a magical process that only some can harness. Creativity is in all of us. It’s part of human nature. It’s true that some are more connected to their creativity than others. But for most, creativity doesn’t manifest itself as a sudden spark. Instead, it’s the byproduct of fearlessness and persistence. It’s taking an action, and then refining and editing until order emerges from the chaos. Happily, the benefits of creative engagement aren’t confined to those who actively create. Simple, passive enjoyment of the arts is good for your health. Researchers from the University of Cali-
Garde, of course, has exceptional talent, but creativity isn’t a magical process that only some can harness. Creativity is in all of us.
fornia in Berkeley found that observing nature and art both boost the immune system. In other words, seeing the Grand Canyon, visiting the Sistine Chapel or listening to Ave Maria may lower levels of chemicals that cause inflammation and can trigger diabetes, heart attacks, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and other illnesses. Don’t ever say you’re not creative, because you are. And don’t ever say it’s too late to develop or improve your creative abilities, because it isn’t. The benefits of creative engagement — whether active or passive — are significant, and are available to everyone at every age.
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to watch our feature stories on artist Harold Garde, including a visit to his home studio.
G R O W I N G B O L D E R 9
WINTER PARK’S
INSPIRING NEW MISSION Explore the City Dedicated to Bringing Arts and Culture to All.
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BY JACKIE CARLIN AND MICHAEL MCLEOD
ucked away just a few miles from the hustle and bustle of Orlando’s world-famous attractions and theme parks sits a charming, historic city that was once a winter escape for wealthy Northerners. With its brick streets, gorgeous chain of lakes and Spanish-moss draped trees, Winter Park, Florida, has long been beloved for its charming shopping districts and award-winning restaurants. Now, the city is an internationally renowned destination for arts and culture. “It doesn’t matter where you go in our city, you’re going to see art,” says Clarissa Howard, the city’s director of communications who also coordinates promotional efforts among a consortium of local arts organizations. “Arts and culture have always been, and will always be, a key part of the Winter Park experience.” The city has long supported public arts and cultural experiences for its residents and visitors. At the heart of the city is Central Park, which runs most of the length of the Park Avenue shopping and dining district. The park itself 10 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
features several pieces of original art, including a sculpture by famed Czech-American sculptor Albin Polasek. A former resident also donated a rose garden within the park for all to enjoy. At the northern end of the park sits the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, which houses the world’s most intriguing collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the legendary glass artist. And nearby, the historic African-American community is celebrated at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center through photography, oral histories and public art works. JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
PHOTO BY WINTER PARK PICTURES (WINTERPARKPICTURES.COM)
Central Park’s Rose Garden has special significance apart from its sheer beauty. It’s where John Michael Thomas, a local Eagle Scout, spearheaded construction of a peacockthemed memorial statue to honor a childhood friend, Elizabeth Buckley, who died of brain cancer.
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Winter Park has rolled out an initiative that brings together its plethora of arts and cultural organizations to jointly promote their programs and activities.
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PHOTO BY WINTER PARK PICTURES (WINTERPARKPICTURES.COM)
World-renowned Park Avenue is the dining and retail hub of Winter Park. Within a radius of just a few miles, there are numerous museums, galleries and arts organizations.
The city also hosts two highly regarded sidewalk arts festivals each year, in the fall featuring Florida artists and in the spring featuring artists from around the world. In 2016, the city decided to take steps to nurture and foster even more participation in the arts for its residents and visitors. One of the results of a yearlong visioning process was the creation of an Arts and Culture subcommittee comprised of more than 20 organizations and a new vision statement for the city: Winter Park is the city of arts and culture, cherishing its traditional scale and charm while building a healthy and sustainable future for all generations. Today, these member organizations have joined forces to help raise the visibility of arts opportunities within the city. By pooling marketing dollars and cross-promoting, they’ve recognized that they can contribute even more to the community’s cultural life than they could on their own. “Our goal wasn’t to replace their efforts, but to supplement and support,” says Craig O’Neil, Winter Park’s assistant director of communications. “We meet once a month to talk about how we can best promote arts and culture in Winter Park as a destination. It’s been really exciting to watch this movement grow, and we’re already making great progress.” With a new logo, brochure, hashtag (#WPInspires) and online calendar of arts and culture happenings (cityofwinterpark.org/ visitors/arts-culture), the subcommittee is off and running. And its members are planning their first major event since forming — the inaugural Weekend of the Arts, which will be held February 16-19. “We’ll be highlighting a specific event for each entity during that weekend,” Howard says. “There will be more than a dozen different events that you can attend on each day.” GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
In addition to the physical and emotional benefits that have long been associated with participation in arts, Howard and O’Neil say there is a growing body of research that touts the tremendous economic impact of a strong cultural scene within a community. They point to the recent Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study, conducted by Americans for the Arts to document the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industries in 341 communities and regions in all 50 states. In Central Florida, the study found that the arts generates nearly $400 million in economic activity, with $46 million generated by Winter Park’s arts-oriented nonprofits and the audiences that support them. “Arts initiatives like this are such an economic driver for cities,” says O’Neil. “People think that cities and counties are always just giving money to arts organizations, but the money that these organizations bring in through the ripple effect is pretty tremendous.” Despite the economic impact, at its heart, art inspires. And that’s why the word inspire is a key component of the city’s focus. “#WPInspires is our mission,” says Howard. “It’s why each of these entities has joined together to share the news about their offerings. The arts touch all ages, all races and all socioeconomic backgrounds. It just really brings people together — and that’s what we love about it, too.” Art and culture, Howard adds, is not discriminatory — and much of it is free for the taking: “Whether it’s for an afternoon, a long weekend or you want to move here and spend a lifetime enjoying all the city has to offer, every day in Winter Park is a special experience and we invite you to be inspired.” On the following pages are brief profiles of the city’s major arts organizations throughout the city. G R O W I N G B O L D E R 13
THE ANNIE RUSSELL AND FRED STONE THEATRES Rollins College has two historically significant performing-arts venues on its campus — the Annie Russell and Fred Stone Theatres, both named for early 20th-century entertainers. “The Annie,” as it’s called by locals, was designed by architect Richard Kiehnel in a Spanish-Mediterranean style and dedicated in 1932. It was funded by Mary Louise Curtis Bok — the only child of publishing magnate Cyrus Curtis — and dedicated to Russell, a renowned British-born stage actress who had moved to Winter Park. Russell taught drama at the college, and appeared in several productions at the theater bearing her name. Some say her ghost still haunts the ornate little jewel-box of a theater, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Fred Stone is a black box theater named for a performer who managed to work his way through five different forms of entertainment during the span of his long career. Starting off as an acrobat and a tightrope walker in the circus, Stone later added minstrel shows, vaudeville, Broadway and feature films to his resumé. Born in a Colorado log cabin in 1873, he would take a turn at writing as well, completing the autobiography of his friend, Annie Oakley, following her death. Stone received an honorary degree from Rollins in 1939. The Fred Stone Theatre is just as versatile, appropriately enough, as its namesake. “The Fred Stone has seen it all,” says box office manager Chelsea Hilend. “It’s served as a church, a classroom, a performance hall, a faculty room, and — at least once, for a classmate of mine — a wedding venue.” Despite its supposed haunting, the building’s less ethereal architectural quirks most intrigue its lighting designer and production manager, Kevin Griffin. “The Annie is not symmetrical,” he says. “Visually, it appears so, but actual measurements confirm that the left and right sides are off by a few inches. This tells us the final work was done with more of a craftsman’s eye than mechanical specificity.” Visit rollins.edu for information. 14 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
THE WINTER PARK AUTUMN ART FESTIVAL Ordinarily, the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival has at least one thing going for it: the weather. There was a rare exception in 2016, thanks to Hurricane Matthew, when the festival had to be cancelled. But ordinarily, Central Park is a gorgeous seasonal setting for an event devoted exclusively to Florida artists — and a community that appreciates them. The free, 44-year-old annual event, hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and presented by the Rifle Paper Co., is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the second weekend in October. It features 180 artists, whose works encompass ceramics, drawings and graphics, fine crafts, jewelry, mixed media, paintings, photographs and sculptures. In addition, the Crealdé School of Art presents workshops for children ages 5 and up during the festival, which also features musical entertainment. “We’re very excited about this year’s festival, and the artists who are traveling from across Florida to share their work,” says Betsy Gardner Eckbert, president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. “I love seeing people from miles around enjoying the art and our community.” Visit winterpark.org for information. THE BACH FESTIVAL SOCIETY OF WINTER PARK It all started with a birthday bash. In 1935, the Winter Park Bach Festival Society was created to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of 18th-century German composer Johann Sebastian Bach. The festival has celebrated quite a few birthdays of its own since then, and is now the third-oldest such festival in the country. It’s devoted to performing a broad range of classical music concerts featuring its own orchestra, a 150-voice choir and an international lineup of guest artists. The main event is the Bach Festival itself — held during a twoweek span each winter. Bach masterpieces are highlighted, of JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
THE ANNIE RUSSELL THEATRE PHOTO BY WINTER PARK PICTURES (WINTERPARKPICTURES.COM)
The Annie Russell Theatre (above left) and the Fred Stone Theatre (above right) are both on the campus of Rollins College. Both are named for famous performers with college connections. “The Annie,” as locals call it, offers a full season of popular productions. The Fred Stone presents sometimes avantgarde, student-directed plays.
The Winter Park Autumn Art Festival (top right) features the work of Florida artists. The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park (center right) offers classical fare, while the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts (bottom right) showcases everything from jazz to rock to bluegrass and even spoken-word performances.
THE BLUE BAMBOO CENTER FOR THE ARTS PHOTO BY RAFAEL TONGOL
course, but programming also includes works by other composers as well as events such as organ recitals, contemporary concertos and themed evenings saluting eras of music. Throughout the year, the society’s musicians are involved with educational programs for children, and satellite choirs for both young and old. The organization also takes on special projects, such as a 2014 partnership with Orlando Ballet to present Carmina Burana — a monumental, 24-movement cantata. The devotion to classical and contemporary music that drives the festival is epitomized by its sixth artistic director, John Sinclair, whose belief in the power of classical music — he thinks that doctors should prescribe it — has made him a community icon, albeit a humble one. Says Sinclair, who has wielded the baton since 1990: “I’ve watched us turn from a local-talent choir to a regional choir. I think it says a lot about the organization’s drive to succeed. I don’t think it says a lot about me.” Visit bachfestivalflorida.org for information. THE BLUE BAMBOO CENTER FOR THE ARTS Back in the early 1980s, Chris Cortez and Mark Piszczek were up-and-coming Orlando musicians, playing for a jazz-fusion group whose repertoire included a tune they wrote themselves. The group was called “Blue Bamboo.” It no longer exists, but the name lives on, as does the musical partnership of Cortez and Piszczek, at the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts. The pair, along with Chris’ wife, Melody, pooled their financial resources and their love of good music to create the center, transforming a warehouse on Kentucky Avenue, just south of Fairbanks near Interstate 4, into a cleverly repurposed performance space. Though it’s only been open a year, Blue Bamboo is already a hip hot spot, thanks to a $250,000 renovation and an eye-opening, broad-ranging slate of performances featuring everything from bluegrass to blues and beyond — including a 25-member clarinet ensemble, a classical guitarist and a mezzo soprano opera singer. The acoustics are excellent in the 100-seat concert space. Beer, wine and snacks are available for purchase. Admission is reasonable ($10-$20). And most of all, there was a lot of talent in Central Florida looking for a home — and found it at Blue Bamboo. “Blue Bamboo is a place for jazz, classical music, theater, dance and all the performing arts,” says Cortez. “It’s also a place for the visual arts — we have a gallery space. It’s a home for the kind of music that so often has trouble finding a home elsewhere.” Visit bluebambooartcenter.com for information. CASA FELIZ HISTORIC HOME MUSEUM The homes that Winter Park architect James Gamble Rogers II designed in the 1930s play no small part in the history, personality and architectural elegance of old-school Winter Park. All his buildings are community treasures. One in particular. It was commissioned in 1932 by Massachusetts industrialist Robert Bruce Barbour, who was charmed by the hybrid Spanish, GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
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The Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum was once a private residence. Designed by legendary architect James Gamble Rogers II, it was rescued from the wrecking ball, moved to city property and lovingly restored through a grass-roots campaign led by citizens.
Mediterranean and Colonial Revival style that was Rogers’ specialty. This one was designed as an Andalusian-style masonry farmhouse. Its name: Casa Feliz. When a new owner purchased the home in the early 2000s with plans to tear it down and build a new home on the lakefront site, preservationists raised more than $1 million to move it across Interlachen Avenue to a site on the Winter Park Golf Course, in an enterprise that required an array of 20 large, pneumatically leveled dollies Casa Feliz then became a happy home for the community at large. The restored mansion, which is on the National Register of History Places, is now an architectural museum and a center for musical events, weddings and private parties. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not reminded of how proud the residents of Winter Park are of this house,” says executive director Susan Omoto. “We intend to keep the momentum going when it comes to promoting an appreciation for this historic treasure.” Casa Feliz sponsors an annual architectural colloquium and free musical performances most Sundays in its lobby. Docent-led tours are also available of the home, which is just steps away from the city’s legendary shopping and dining district along Park Avenue. Visit casafeliz.us for information. THE CORNELL FINE ARTS MUSEUM AND THE ALFOND INN They are a pair, these two. The Cornell Fine Arts Museum overlooks Lake Virginia from the back side of the Rollins College campus at the southern end of Park Avenue. The Alfond Inn is a $30 million boutique hotel built three years ago just across Fairbanks Avenue from the Rollins College campus and a short walk east of Park Avenue. 16 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
Rollins, in fact, owns the 112-room hotel, as well as a contemporary art collection on display in its lobby, hallways and conference rooms. That means hotel visitors get to be entertained and enlightened by a professionally curated collection that also serves as a resource for the college’s professors and their students. It’s all thanks to the vision and generosity of art collectors — and Rollins graduates — Ted and Barbara Alfond, who were involved with the conception and financing of the hotel and its art collection. Profits from the hotel’s operation endow a scholarship fund. The Alfond offers free tours, led by Cornell docents, that include wine at a bargain price — surely the classiest happy hour in town. Ena Heller, director of the Cornell, has a friendly, ongoing debate with Jesse Martinez, general manager of the Alfond. “I say the Alfond is an art museum with guest rooms,” she says. “He says it’s a hotel with an art museum in it.” They are, of course, both right. Visit thealfondinn.com and rollins.edu for information. THE CREALDÉ SCHOOL OF ART AND THE HANNIBAL SQUARE HERITAGE CENTER First, there’s the name: “Crealde.” It’s thought to be a blend of two words: the Spanish word for “creation” and the old English word for “village.” In any case, the name was an invention of Crealdé’s founder, the late William Sterling Jenkins, a local homebuilder who was also an accomplished artist. The story behind the name makes sense, After all, Jenkins thought of the Crealdé School of Art as a creative village. The school and its related offices, classrooms and galleries opened in 1975 on the shore of a lake in east Winter Park. It offers classes in just about every art form you can imagine: photography, painting, ceramics, sculpture, paper-making, jewelry JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
THE CORNELL FINE ARTS MUSEUM PHOTO BY WINTER PARK PICTURES (WINTERPARKPICTURES.COM)
The Cornell Fine Arts Museum (above) on the campus of Rollins College has one of the most eclectic collections in Florida, including some Old Masters. The college also owns the Alfond Inn (top right), in which pieces from the Cornell’s contemporary art collection are on display. The Crealdé School of Art (bottom right) features gallery exhibitions and classes in photography, painting, ceramics, sculpture, paper-making, jewelry design, fabric arts and book-making, among other disciplines.
design, fabric arts and book-making, among other disciplines. In 2007, the school established an outpost across town: the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. Its mission, in part, was to preserve the history and heritage of the city’s historically AfricanAmerican west side community. When Crealdé stages its three annual art exhibits, works are displayed in both locations, with guests migrating from one to the other during opening night celebrations. It takes a village. East side, west side, all around the town. “At the core of Crealdé’s mission is the belief that the arts are for everyone,” says executive director Peter Schreyer. “Each individual has a story to be told, and something creative to contribute.” Schreyer says the school strives to carry forth Jenkins’ mission to make art an integral part of community life — and a positive force in the lives of individuals — by offering stimulating, educational, hands-on arts experiences and gallery exhibitions. Visit crealde.org for information. GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
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GLADDENINGLIGHT Randall Robertson, a former sports-marketing entrepreneur and longtime Winter Park resident, figured he needed a retirement career. So he studied to become a minister. Then, after deciding that the pulpit wasn’t for him, he found another way to pursue his spiritual interests. In 2011, Robertson founded GladdeningLight, a groundbreaking interdenominational nonprofit that brings together writers, thinkers, musicians, visual artists and spiritual leaders to explore the places where art and spirituality intersect. GladdeningLight’s major event is an annual symposium, open to the public, that features spiritually oriented speakers such as Christian mystic Richard Rohr, poet David Whyte and writer/broadcaster Krista Tippett, host of the PBS program On Being. The symposium was held at All Saints Episcopal Church on Lyman Avenue for the first few years. But then, as interest grew and crowds became larger, it relocated to the Rollins College campus in 2017. “Gladdening light” is a reference to what scholars consider the first Christian hymn. Written in Greek during the third century, the hymn is an elegant entreaty for spiritual illumination. Robertson emphasizes the inclusiveness of the symposium and other GladdeningLight events, such as art exhibitions and guided tours of inspirational places around the world: “GladdenLight is open to all, and representative of thoughtful spiritual seekers both inside and outside traditional religious practices.” Visit gladdenlight.org for information. THE WINTER PARK HISTORY MUSEUM Forget, for a moment, the fashionable restaurants, elegant shops and upscale autos cruising down Park Avenue, and imagine a time when the height of luxury living in Winter Park was taking a mule-drawn trolley to the newly built Seminole Hotel. Gaslights! And steam heat! What will they think of next? The wonders of that era, among others, are remembered and celebrated at the Winter Park History Museum, located in the old railroad depot on New England Avenue. Over the years, exhibits have included looks at railroading, the turpentine industry and Winter Park High School in its sock-hop days. A recent exhibit recalled Winter Park during World War II, using photos, oral histories, films, letters and other artifacts. An upcoming exhibit examines hotels and motels in the city’s past. Today, the museum attracts about 14,000 visitors each year and sponsors an array of programs and events, some of them collaborations with other organizations. It’s family-friendly: A charming children’s show, Princess of the Peacocks, is enjoying — like the town itself — quite a long and colorful run. “We have a wonderful history, and the museum is keeping it alive 18 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
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THE WINTER PARK HISTORY MUSEUM PHOTO BY WINTER PARK PICTURES (WINTERPARKPICTURES.COM)
GladdeningLight (top left) is a nonprofit that stages an annual symposium on the general topic of the symbiotic relationship between art and spirituality. The Winter Park History Museum (center left) stages exhibitions on various aspects of the city’s colorful history, while the Winter Park Public Library (bottom left) features activities for kids and an array of services for grown-ups. Mead Botanical Garden (facing page) is the city’s ecological jewel — a 48-acre urban oasis encompassing wetlands, hammocks and several outdoor venues that are popular for such outdoor activities as weddings.
ADVISORY BOARD HELPS KEEP ART FRONT AND CENTER You don’t need four walls and a gift shop to make an art museum. Sometimes fresh air and blue skies will do just fine as a setting. “A museum without walls” was the goal of the Public Art Advisory Board, which was established in Winter Park in 2003, says Jan Clanton, one of the early masterminds of the volunteer group. Its initial project was a temporary exhibition of sculptures in Central Park. Several similar temporary projects followed, as did installation of a permanent sculpture, Molecular Dog, in Hannibal Square’s Shady Park. The board’s formal task is “collecting, preserving and interpreting notable works of art and implementing educational opportunities concerning public art for the benefit of Winter Park residents and visitors.” Board members advise the city commission about art, administer a Public Art Trust Fund and oversee conservation of artwork owned by the city. In recent months, on the heels of the city’s recent visioning initiative, the board has added coordination and communication to its goals, says Clanton, who retired from her post in the education department of the Orlando Museum of Art after a lengthy career. “The mission of the Public Art Advisory Board has evolved over the years,” she says. “We like to be active in thinking up ways that art can be incorporated into the city’s development, whether you have benches that are art pieces or you’re working with schools. There are just so many different ways we can be a force.” Visit cityofwinterpark.org for information.
for people of all ages,” says executive director Susan Skolfield. Visit wphistory.org for information. THE WINTER PARK PUBIC LIBRARY The Winter Park Public Library dates back to the town’s horseand-buggy days, when nine women met to establish what they called the Winter Park Circulation Library Association in 1885. Their enterprise was only open in cool weather months because many of its well-to-do members spent sweltering springs and summers in estates up north. The library’s first home: a front porch and hallway of an organizer’s winter cottage on Interlachen Avenue. Dues: $1 a year. A new library, built in the early 1900s, featured two fireplaces, indoor plumbing and a children’s section. The current building on New England Avenue, which opened in 1979, was just two floors, and designed to accommodate a tree that grew in an atrium at its center. The needs of the library grew even faster, though, and a third floor was added in 1994. None of that compares to what’s next: A new, $30 million Library and Events Center complex about to be built in Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The collection of three buildings will include a two-story library, a single-story events center and a portico dropoff pavilion. The complex, which is expected to open in 2020, is being designed by Sir David Adjaye, a London-based, British-Ghanaian architect GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
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The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is internationally known for its unparalleled collection of the luminous leaded-glass windows and lamps created in the studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Its holdings also include other late 19th- and early 20th-century American art.
who designed the acclaimed Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Though the buildings will be impressive both architecturally and technologically, the library’s core mission won’t change, says Mary Gail Dufresne Coffee, director of community relations. “We will continue to be a place where education, entertainment and enlightenment happens every day,” she says. “Our vision is to inspire learning, open minds and transform lives.” The library’s values, she adds, are: “Lifelong education, serving as a trusted community resource, equal access for all residents, innovation that’s responsive to changing community needs, and providing a place for connection and open exchanges of ideas.” Visit wppl.org for information. MEAD BOTANICAL GARDEN Mead Garden is one of the hidden jewels of Winter Park, an urban oasis tucked away at the end of South Denning Drive, across the railroad tracks and bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue and Howell Creek. The garden honors a scientist whose fascination with natural wonders involved traveling by horseback and sheltering in wigwams in the late 19th century as he explored still-untamed stretches of the Colorado Rockies in search of undiscovered flora and fauna. Theodore L. Mead would eventually settle in Central Florida. When he died in 1936, two of his Winter Park friends worked to secure a 48-acre natural haven of wetlands and hammocks, where a botanical garden would be created in his memory. Dedicated in 1940, the garden has evolved over the years into a free, dawn-to-dusk retreat offering a variety of programming, including community gardening, summer camps, horticulture in the greenhouse, guided bird and herb walks and classroom field trips. It’s also a popular spot for weddings and other special events. 20 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
Maintained by the City of Winter Park’s Parks and Recreation Department, the garden is operated and continually improved by individual volunteers and organizations such as the Florida Native Plant Society, the Winter Park Rotary Club, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the Geneva School, and the Winter Park Garden Club — among many others. “This is a place that has meaning to a lot of people in Winter Park,” says Cynthia Hasenau, executive director. “What’s happening here is the result of exemplary volunteers.” Visit meadgarden.org for information. THE CHARLES HOSMER MORSE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART It’s hard to imagine Winter Park without The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, a Park Avenue powerhouse whose old-world luster emanates from its unparalleled collection of the luminous leaded-glass windows and lamps created in the studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Founded by Jeannette Genius McKean in 1942 and named for her philanthropist grandfather, the museum is also forever linked to her husband, Hugh McKean, a Rollins College president who, as a young man, studied with Tiffany at his lavishly appointed Long Island country estate, Laurelton Hall. In 1957, Hugh and Jeannette salvaged truckloads of art and architectural elements from Laurelton Hall, which had fallen into ruin after Tiffany’s death and further damaged by fire. Their decision to bring the gilded Art Nouveau treasures to Winter Park for safekeeping would help define Winter Park as an arts mecca. The McKeans spent decades as stewards of the collection, becoming the aesthetic king and queen of Winter Park — “the town’s gyroscope,” as former Rollins president Thaddeus Seymour likes to calls them. When they died, they left behind a priceless JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
THE ALBIN POLASEK MUSEUM & SCULPTURE GARDEN PHOTO BY WINTER PARK PICTURES (WINTERPARKPICTURES.COM)
Many works by sculptor Albin Polasek are on display in the lushly landscaped grounds of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Garden (above), on the eastern shore of Lake Osceola. Next to the museum, which was once Polasek’s home, is the restored Capen-Showalter House, which, like Casa Feliz, was saved from demolition, moved and restored. It’s now used for museum offices and special events. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival (below right) is one of the biggest and most prestigious outdoor art shows in the U.S. It’s held every spring.
heritage in their privately funded museum. Its holdings — apart from the world’s most extensive array of Tiffany jewelry, pottery, paintings, sculptures, and leaded glass — also include other late 19th- and early 20th-century American art. Tiffany highlights include a restored Byzantine-Romanesque chapel interior, a terrace from Tiffany’s estate decorated with multicolored glass daffodils, and galleries that evoke the beauty of Laurelton Hall — and the guiding philosophy behind it. “If the Morse has one controlling belief, it’s that art is life enhancing, and that every individual is better off when art is a present and significant part of their life,” says Laurence J. Ruggiero, the museum’s director. Visit morsemuseum.org for information. THE ALBIN POLASEK MUSEUM & SCULPTURE GARDEN As a boy, Albin Polasek loved carving small wooden figures. As an adult, he worked at a considerably larger scale, crafting a 28foot statue of Woodrow Wilson; larger-than-life bronze warriors and mythological figures; and a breathtaking, life-sized rendering of Christ on the cross, his face beatific despite his suffering. Many of Polasek’s works, including the crucifixion sculpture, are on display in the lushly landscaped grounds of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Garden, on the eastern shore of Lake Osceola. That was where Polasek, who immigrated to the U.S. from the Czech Republic, built a retirement home for himself and his wife in 1950, after he retired as head of the sculpture department at the Art Institute of Chicago. GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
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The Winter Park Institute at Rollins College brings scholars, artists, activists, entrepreneurs and thought leaders from an array of fields to campus. It’s headquartered in historic Osceola Lodge, former home of industrialist and philanthropist Charles Hosmer Morse, one of Winter Park’s most important historical figures.
Though Polasek suffered a stroke shortly thereafter and was partially paralyzed, he devised a way to continue sculpting. He poised a chisel over a work in progress with his one good hand, while an assistant would stand by his side with a hammer and strike it at Polasek’s command. Using this painstaking method, the artist continued his life’s work unabated, creating an additional 18 major works by the time he died in 1965. His studio/home and a collection of 200 works — as well as galleries displaying traveling exhibitions — are under the stewardship of the Albin Polasek Foundation, which owns and operates the complex, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2014, the historic Capen-Showalter House was floated across Lake Osceola and reassembled adjacent to the museum. “This renewed home will be used to host many of our events and will benefit residents and guests to Central Florida for years to come,” says Debbie Komanski, the Polasek’s executive director. Visit polasek.org for information. THE WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL When the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival made its debut in the spring of 1960, the volunteers who created it wondered if they could attract the attention of enough artists and art lovers to make the event work. So far, so good. The 2018 festival is slated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 16, 17 and 18. Some 225 artists — selected from among more than 1,000 applicants — will showcase their work for an estimated 350,000 people. Artists compete for 63 awards totaling $72,500. The Best of Show winner is purchased for $10,000 by the Winter Park Side22 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
walk Art Festival Board and donated to the City of Winter Park. Previous Best of Show winners are on permanent display at the Winter Park Public Library. Youngsters can create their own artwork at the Children’s Workshop Village. Easel painting is a popular activity, and budding artists can take their creations home with them. The Leon Theodore Schools Exhibit showcases art by students in Orange County schools. There are sculptures, drawings, paintings, photography, mixed media and a variety of other genres on display at the festival, which is consistently rated among the most prestigious in the U.S. Festival traditions include the selection of original art for the official festival poster, which is sold at the event. Posters from prior years are considered collectible by festival fans. Also during the festival, admission to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is free. The mission of the festival — which is still run entirely by volunteers — hasn’t changed since its beginnings decades ago, says past president Alice Moulton. “The event offers an enjoyable, fulfilling and profitable experience for artists,” she says. “Plus, it enhances art appreciation, art education and community spirit.” For more information visit wpsaf.org. THE WINTER PARK INSTITUTE AT ROLLINS COLLEGE Great speakers have been turning up at Rollins College since 1926, when larger-than-life figures such as Carl Sandburg, Justice William O. Douglas, Dale Carnegie, Edward R. Murrow and Admiral Richard Byrd were invited to the campus. Back then, the college called its speaker series — which was held outdoors — the Animated Magazine. It drew thousands of people to Mills Lawn and attracted national attention. The Winter Park Institute at Rollins College is the modern evoJANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
Don’t expect to see heavy drama at the Winter Park Playhouse, a nonprofit theater where the musical comedy and cabaret performances are the specialty. Not surprisingly, the intimate 123-seat venue is always packed. Plus, its outreach program, dubbed REACH, brings musical theater to underserved children, homebound seniors, day nurseries and community centers.
cation of that tradition, bringing scholars, artists, activists, entrepreneurs and thought leaders from an array of fields to campus. Now, though, they speak indoors at one of several venues. Past institute speakers have included wildlife crusader Jane Goodall, documentarian Ken Burns, author Bill Bryson, poet Maya Angelou, director Oliver Stone, feminist icon Gloria Steinem, and journalists Nicholas Kristoff, and Jane Pauley. Former two-term U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins, the institute’s senior distinguished fellow, offers annual readings that always pack the house. In addition to open-to-the-public presentations, the visiting luminaries spend time on campus interacting with students and faculty members with in-class discussions and master classes. This season’s speakers have included presidential historian Jon Meacham, artist Candy Chang, activist Lauren Bush Lauren and Collins, who read from his recent New York Times bestseller The Rain in Portugal. Still to come are astronaut Story Musgrave (March 6) and basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (April 4). “More than ever as we begin our 10th season, the Winter Park Institute at Rollins College is proud to continue the college’s heritage of bringing preeminent scholars and artists to our doorstep,” says Gail Sinclair, the institute’s executive director. “These inspirational speakers engage the campus and the community in enlightened conversations about the world’s most current interests and issues and challenge us to participate in dialogue about our role as global citizens.” Visit rollins.edu for information. THE WINTER PARK PLAYHOUSE Fifteen years ago, Roy Alan and his wife, Heather, announced their intention to establish an off-Broadway beachhead in Winter Park by GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
staging a musical called I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. It was the first of many performances at the Winter Park Playhouse, the couple’s nonprofit enterprise on Orange Avenue. The charming musical-theater haven, the only professional musical theater in Central Florida, features a piano and a bar in the lobby, a mainstage series and frequent cabarets in its intimate, 123-seat venue. Its outreach program, dubbed REACH, brings musical theater to underserved children, homebound seniors, day nurseries and community centers. Roy was a tap-dancing whirlwind during his early performing years, and over the span of a 50-year career worked as a director, a choreographer and a stage manager. Heather boasts an impressive resumé of stage and screen credits as well as a business degree. Many playhouse performers are professionals who have fulltime theme park jobs by day and relish the chance to branch out into musical theater and cabaret by night. The theater also sponsors the Florida Festival of New Musicals, which showcases new works by up-and-coming composers and playwrights. Roy has his own pet name for the playhouse. “I call it the ‘forget your troubles’ theater. You come in here and you just escape, forget about everything going on out there.” Visit winterparkplayhouse.org for information.
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com for a link to the Arts and Culture Subcommittee’s calendar of events and to learn more about each of the participating arts organizations.
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8 OVER 80
THESE ACTIVE OCTOGENARIANS STAY YOUNG THROUGH CREATIVITY. Editor’s Note: One of the most tangible examples of the creative culture inspired by the City of Winter Park and facilitated by the extensive programming of arts-oriented nonprofits within the city is the large number of artists of all ages who live and work there. So we decided to feature “8 over 80” as a way of highlighting the health, social and longevity benefits of creative engagement. Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to learn more about each of the 8 over 80 artists featured here, including details on how you can see more of their art and performances. 24 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
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AL CASTELLANA SCULPTOR
87
After a 31-year career in the Marines, Al Castellana had no idea how many adventures were still to come. His spiritual and creative life was about to flourish. He became a deacon at his church and immersed himself in his art. “My preference is realistic sculpture,” he says. “With as much detail as the medium, tools and my patience will allow.” Among Castellana’s most satisfying works is Stations of the Cross for Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Winter Park. The work took more than two years to complete, and was installed on his 80th birthday. Now, at 87, he’s still enjoying his craft and exercising his creativity more than ever. “The lack of deadlines changes everything,” he explains. “It allows me to be more relaxed, patient and willing to start over and over and over when I have to.” Castellana believes we all have talents — and developing and refining those talents often leads to finding meaning and purpose in life. “To start with nothing, and to watch something evolve from that still brings me sheer joy,” he says, adding that age does nothing to diminish that feeling. “Society believes we ‘octos’ (people over 80) should be sitting in a recliner with a remote in our hands,” says Castellana. “But it’s our age, wisdom, experience and patience — and our time, talent and desire to make our world a better place — that’s more than enough ammunition for us to make a difference, and enjoy every minute of it.”
ANNE BURST PAINTER
84
Anne Burst loves to paint — and many people are glad she does. Her paintings hang in galleries and private collections from Florida to California. She was also commissioned to create large-scale abstract paintings at the international airports in Miami and Key West, and for a commercial building in downtown Winter Park. Burst, a Winter Parker for 50 years, was the proprietor of Indies Landing, an interior-design studio, for 18 years. She also wrote articles and took photos of antiques, home interiors and architecture for various publications. She believes her works display “an artist’s sense of color, a graphic designer’s love of white space, a sculptor’s feel for texture, an architect’s eye for detail and an inherent understanding of the importance of light.” Art has been a part of Burst’s life since childhood. She has a fine arts and art history degree, and insists that now, at 84, art has never been more fulfilling. “As I get older, I have more time than ever to do what I want,” she explains. “I can decide if I want to go in my studio to paint, or into my office and write.” Burst has also completed a novel, which may soon become a movie, and is working on a second book. “Involvement in the arts gives you an interest beyond yourself,” she says. “Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, painting gets me focused on what’s right.”
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ELIZABETH BARR PAINTER
90
Not every 90-year-old is described as “an inspiration” or “admired by all” — but Elizabeth Sissie Barr is not your typical 90-yearold. “I’ve always felt I was a woman ahead of her time,” she says. It’s clear that for Barr, 90 years isn’t enough. Her talent is in her ability to absorb the beauty around her, and to express it in oil-on-canvas paintings. “My art is full of color and loosely painted,” she explains. “I call my style ‘realistically impressionistic.’” A native Floridian, Barr has traveled the world. Her passion for art can be traced back to 1950 and a visit to Egypt, when she worked for the State Department. “A co-worker showed me her paintings of local people there,” she remembers. “I was overcome with joy and excitement.” That was just the beginning. Instead of formal training, she went to museums and studied the masters — something she does to this day. “I’m still learning, advancing and trying new things,” she says. Her works were displayed in the very first Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival in 1962, and she has applied to be in the show this spring. Barr has no major medical concerns, and attributes her good health in part to her art. “Strong curiosity and positive thinking help keep me going,” she explains. “Painting keeps me so relaxed and involved, I don’t really have time to focus on aches and pains.” And if you’ve ever wondered what life looks like to a 90-year-old, look at her art. “My paintings are expressions of that,” she reveals. “I only paint what I love, and I love life!”
JEAN WITHERINGTON SINGER
81
Jean Witherington believes there’s a lot more to singing than just using your voice. “Singing is my social outlet,” she says. “I just love meeting people, and of course, I love dressing up!” Jean sings with, among others, the Osceola Choir and the Central Florida Community Arts Classical Choir. “The arts have completely opened up my life,” she says. “And it’s not just singing. I also enjoy photography when I travel and for my local Woman’s Club.” That’s quite a schedule for a person who says she used to spend most of her time sitting home watching TV. “When my husband passed away, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself,” Witherington explains. “But that’s when I decided to begin singing again — and I’m so glad I did, because it’s absolutely changed everything.” Being 81 years old hasn’t slowed Witherington down a bit. “Don’t ever let anybody tell you to act your age,” she advises. “I’ve been around long enough to not only have a second childhood, but now I feel like I’m onto my third and I love it!” She says singing has given her the chance to unabashedly be herself — and by following her passion she gets to enjoy more music and meet more people than she ever imagined possible.
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LORRAINE WOOD
89
GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND FINE ARTIST
It was 1964 when Lorraine Wood left the art world. “Life got in the way,” is how she describes it. It wasn’t an easy decision for someone who’d started drawing at age 8, majored in art and worked for Columbia Pictures Cartoons. After several years with the cult favorite George Pal Puppetoons, she put her artist’s pencil down and wouldn’t pick it up again until she was 73. Says Wood: “It seemed like an inevitable progression that was long overdue.” She learned to work with caseins and oil paints, concentrating on figurative and still-life subjects. The more she got back into art, the more her world expanded. “When I picked up my brushes after a 40-year hiatus, world travels, multicultural relationships and personal solutions to life’s problems seemed to flow effortlessly into my creative process,” she explains. Something else that surprised her is how much she’s enjoying her age. “Life over 80 is a constant surprise!” she says. “It’s not so bad after all! Am I really going to be 90 on my next birthday? No, it can’t be. I don’t feel it, and I don’t look it. I have great friends of all ages who keep me on my toes. I go to concerts, plays and receptions. I exhibit my work locally, and I’m on the board of directors of the Annie Russell Theatre Guild at Rollins College.” Wood says what’s most unexpected is this: “Instead of just feeling old, I’m involved, content and I’m loved. Who knew that my 80s would be the most pleasant decade of my life?”
MIMI MCDOWELL MULTIMEDIA ARTIST
85
It’s not easy to keep up with Mimi McDowell. At 85, her calendar is always full. She starts every day with a swim and a tricycle ride and often meets her friends for lunch. But what she really loves is art. Whether painting, sculpting, making jewelry, fashioning a collage or working with clay and mixed media, she’s happiest when creating. All her works are colorful, sometimes whimsical, but always based on nature. “Art centers me,” she explains. “Helps me deal with my feelings and keeps me from taking myself too seriously,” In 1950, McDowell left Detroit to enroll at Rollins College. She fell in love and married, so school had to wait. Four children and 10 years later she returned to college and got degrees in psychology and fine arts. She became an art teacher and a high school guidance counselor over a 33year career. McDowell never expected her retirement years to be so fulfilling. “How you look at life is more important than age,” she says. “Some are old at 60, some even at 30. Art keeps your mind working, opens you up to new experiences and a life of meaning.” Learning never ends, either, which is why she can often be found taking classes at the Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park. Even at 85, McDowell says she can’t wait to see what each new day will bring: “For me, life is art. Without beauty, creativity and sensitivity there is no life.” GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
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WILLY M. LOPEZ CLAY SCULPTOR
83
Willy Lopez could feel the walls closing in around her. She’d never felt so alone. After losing her husband, then her mother, she wondered if her grief would ever subside and seldom left the house. But there was one thing she had always turned to in times of trouble — art. Lopez enrolled in a class at the Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park. “I started creating again,” she says. “And I made so many friends.” Her clay sculptures reveal a world of fantasy and fairy tales. Not only does she bring her creatures to life, they do the same for her. “It makes me happy that an idea born in my mind can, through my hands, become a real object,” she says. “The characters I create become like friends. They surround me in my house, and feel like company.” Her creations have also opened up her world and allowed her to find a supportive, motivating and inspiring environment filled with people who appreciate what she does. “I love being surrounded by the art community,” she says. “It’s like a whole new life.” And as for being 83? “I never think about my age at all,” she says. “I still drive, and have no health problems at all,” she says. “And I have a wonderful circle of friends and activities.” She also volunteers every summer teaching art to children. “Art makes age irrelevant,” she adds. “Some think being old is boring. But when else can you create a totally different life for yourself. That is what art has done for me.”
JODI TASSOS MUSICIAN
80
Since she was a young girl, music has always been a major part of Jodi Tassos’ life. And at 80, her love of the arts only continues to grow. “My parents were not well off, but music was always a priority in our house,” she recalls. “So that meant piano lessons throughout our childhoods.” The lessons didn’t stop there. She would go on to major in music at the University of Illinois, and soon a career on Broadway beckoned. “I was always involved with some sort of production, from summer stock to road companies, Tassos says. “I also worked in musical theater productions on Broadway from 1960 through 1967. One of the great thrills of her life, she adds, was being part of the original cast of Mame, starring Angela Lansbury. In that show, she was part of the chorus and understudied three roles. She then married and moved with her husband to Japan for several years. Once they returned to the U.S., Tassos taught music in Orange County public schools for 21 years. After her retirement, she brought music to even younger children through the Kindermusik program. For the past 14 years, Tassos has nurtured musical education among the 55-plus crowd as director of the Young at Heart chorale, a community outreach project of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. “Our goal is to share music with each other, and then share it with the community,” Tassos says. “There’s absolutely no age limit on creativity. In fact, I think it’s something you should do all your life!” she says. 28 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
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THE TAKEAWAY
ON CREATIVITY AND CAREGIVING Through the Arts, We Can Make Meaning and Memory Across Generations.
A
By Margery Pabst Steinmetz
ll of us involved in producing, promoting and advocating for arts programs have witnessed the immediate and long-term impact of engagement in arts programs. Eyes light up — and spirits immediately follow. When creativity is a part of everyday life, especially as we age, we benefit from the making of meaning and memory across generations. The arts are a great human connector, helping us better understand and appreciate one another. We’re quickly becoming a society of caregivers. I’ve been a caregiver multiple times, and it’s a journey that most of us will take at some point. How we view that journey can make all the difference in how we age — and how we create a positive legacy for our families and ourselves. The arts are an incredibly powerful tool for both caregivers and those they care for, providing a perspective and a space for positive attitudes to flourish in caregiving relationships. I now receive many more requests about using creativity at home, in faith communities and in care homes than I did even a few years ago. In 20 years, such opportunities will have expanded beyond anything we can envision today — and the arts will be at core of this evolution. When one is caregiving, it’s so easy to only focus on the mundane, the stressful and the negative aspects of illness. When is the next medication? When is the next doctor’s appointment? These questions can
quickly consume and become the sum total of every caregiver’s day. Making spaces for creativity — singing together, watching a movie, painting a picture — helps everyone focus on positive living and shared joy. Actively participating in the arts is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to create the moments of joy that make every life worth living. I still play the piano, and am pretty rusty at the moment — but it doesn’t diminish my enjoyment or lessen the physical, mental and emotional benefits that I receive from a few minutes at the keyboard. I also write and continue to expand my website, which offers free caregiving resources and information, uplifting blogs, informative radio shows and daily affirmations for caregivers. While this is time consuming and can at times be difficult work, I try to view every part of it as creative engagement. And so should you. There are so many ways to make creativity part of our daily lives — whether it’s cooking, organizing, gardening or simply visiting a museum or attending a concert, The arts feed us as human beings: physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually. I’m passionate about everyone having opportunities to access the arts at any time — but especially in times of crisis and hardship. I believe that the arts are essential to not only building but also healing the mind, body and spirit. The creative soul exists in every one of us, and should be nurtured throughout our lives — not just when we’re children.
Editor’s Note: Margery Pabst Steinmetz is one of the world’s top advocates for caregivers and a national thought leader in incorporating creative engagement with caregiving. She is the creator of mycaregivingcoach.com, a website dedicated to caregiver wellbeing and the author of four books, including the award-winning Enrich Your Caregiving Journey and Words of Care. She is also the creator and host of two radio shows, Caregiver and Physician Conversations and Caregivers Speak. Steinmetz is also the past board chair of the National Center for Creative Aging and the founder and president of the Pabst Charitable Foundation for the Arts, which supports innovative art at the intersection of arts and wellness.
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GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our Growing Bolder Radio conversation with Margery Pabst Steinmetz and learn more about her passion for creativity and caregiving.
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