Art for young and old

Art for young and old
[14 September 2006 - The Jerusalem Post] With the Gil Pensioners party's surprising swing into public service, the life of senior citizens in Israel seems to be in the process of positive change. This was apparent at the opening of Art of Aging, a photography exhibit focusing on images of seniors in Israeli life currently on display at the Jerusalem Theater. Sponsored jointly by Eshel, an organization that provides services and programming for Israel's seniors, the Joint Distribution Committee and Reshet television, last week's event provided a forum for the seemingly unlikely connection between avant-garde artists and Israel's elderly community, as young photographers were awarded prizes for their original work depicting senior life. On hand to distribute the prizes and officially introduce the exhibit was leader of the Gil party, MK Rafi Eitan, wearing his trademark - and perhaps unwittingly arty - black glasses. He spoke passionately about the struggle to ensure quality of life for seniors in Israel, acknowledging that he only recently became acquainted with the artistic strides within the senior community. He also mentioned the importance of staying active in the lives of all people - including the elderly. ... For Anat Wolfson, who works in research and production for Eshel and is pursuing her MA in gerontology at Haifa University, visual art about aging is a powerful tool for social change. More