Celebrate Arts Festival
Celebrating Older Adults in our Community
CelebratEArts 2023
An Annual Arts Festival Celebrating the Creative Works of Older New Yorkers
Educational Alliance invites you to participate in our second annual CelebratEArts Festival throughout the month of May, to honor older adults who bring color, creativity, and compassion to our community through their varied artistic endeavors.
Launched in 2022, as part of the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month, led by the Administration for Community Living, CelebratEArts aims to dismantle ageism by celebrating the societal contributions of New Yorkers across their lifespan.
This year’s festival theme—Aging Unbound—offers us an opportunity to explore diverse aging experiences and to recognize how we all benefit when older adults remain engaged, independent, and included.
We are proud to showcase art from older adult members of the Weinberg Center for Balanced Living, Sirovich Center for Balanced Living, Co-Op Village NORC, and Project ORE, and the 14th Street Y.
Celebrate with us at the CelebratEArts Festival events listed below! If you attend 8 out of 11 events, then you’ll be eligible to enter a prize raffle at our Older Americans Month Closing Event on Wednesday, May 31.
Donate to Sirovich Center to Directly Support EA’s Older Adult Arts Programs
CelebratEArts Schedule
Join us for a month of art sales, gallery exhibits, performances, workshops, and more – showcasing the talents of older adult artists in the EA community.
Please note: Advanced registration or ticket purchase is required for some events where noted. For events with no registration links, we invite you to stop by—walk-ins are welcome!
EA Older Adult Members can also stop by the Theater Desk to register or purchase tickets.
Theater Desk Hours and Locations:
“TICKET” TUESDAYS | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Sirovich Center, Conference Room | 331 East 12th Street
“THEATER” THURSDAYS | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
MCC Weinberg Center, 6th Floor | 197 East Broadway
All Month Long
-
Manny Cantor Center Jewish Communal Fund Gallery | 197 East Broadway
-
14Y Gallery | 344 East 14th Street
-
Sirovich Gallery & Hall | 331 East 12th Street
-
Manny Cantor Center Virtual Gallery | Click here to view
Week 1 | May 1 – 7
Craft Sale
Wednesday, May 3 | 12:00 – 3:00 PM
Location: Manny Cantor Center Lobby | 197 East Broadway
Handmade crafts make perfect Mothers’ Day gifts! Peruse a selection of sale items, including Chinese beading, ceramics, sewing, needlepoint and more.
Ceramic Sale and Live Performance
Friday, May 5 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Sirovich Center, Auditorium | 331 East 12th Street
Shop ceramics, mosaics, paintings, and jewelry handcrafted by community artisans while enjoying live performances by concert pianists and the Sirovich Vocal Ensemble.
Week 2 | May 8 – 14
Theater Workshop with LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture
Tuesday, May 9 | 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Location: 14Y Theater | 344 East 14th Street
Experience the new partnership between EA Older Adult Programs and LABA New York, a Jewish house of study and culture that uses classic Jewish texts to inspire the creation of art, culture, conversation, and community.
Join Chanan Ben Simon, Director of LABA NY, and Danielle Elhasid, LABA artist, for a body/voice workshop combined with live animation. Chanan will share his vocal exploration for the piece ‘The Unvoiced,’ and Danielle will share her upcoming LABA project.
After a short introduction on LABA and their pieces, participants will explore voice and body activities with a focus on expression, breath, vocal effects, techniques from different traditions, and free improvisation while Danielle shares exciting live visuals. No previous experience is required.
Aging Unbound Performance
Friday, May 12 | 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Location: 14Y Theater | 344 East 14th Street
Free Admission | Donations accepted at door
Featuring acting, singing, dancing, storytelling, and live music performed by Older New Yorkers.
*This is a private performance for members, volunteers, and staff of Educational Alliance Older Adult Centers. Please register at your local center.
Aging Unbound Performance and Gallery Reception
Saturday, May 13
Performance: 2:00 – 3:30 PM | Gallery Reception: 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Location: 14Y Theater | 344 East 14th Street
Featuring acting, singing, dancing, storytelling, and live music performed by Older New Yorkers. A reception following the performance will take place in the 14Y Gallery, with refreshments and entertainment by the band, Just (Jazz!) Friends.
Aging Unbound, Extended Virtual Edition
Continue celebrating older adult performers with Alliance Stage Company’s “I Am An Actor” series—a virtual extension of Aging Unbound—inspired by the distinguished members of SAG-AFTRA, who have shared bibliographic anecdotes and perceptions of their craft. Experience their stories here.
Week 3 | May 15 – 21
Meet the Artists: Moderated Q&A and Reception
Wednesday, May 17 | 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Location: Manny Cantor Center’s Jewish Communal Fund Gallery | 197 East Broadway
Meet the artists whose work is featured in the MCC Jewish Communal Fund Gallery. Following the Q&A, join us for a reception with light refreshments.
MCC Community Prom: Celebrate Spring!
Wednesday, May 17 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM
Location: Manny Cantor Center, 6th Floor | 197 East Broadway
Register here
Join us to celebrate spring and Older Americans month with an intergenerational community prom. All ages are welcome, so bring your kids, grandkids, friends or yourself as we dance the day away to a live DJ and waltz lessons. Make memories with your friends and neighbors at the photo booth. And don’t forget to enter the raffle to win prizes! Festive attire encouraged!
Meet the Artists: Moderated Q&A and Reception
Friday, May 19 | 1:30 – 3:00 PM
Location: Sirovich, Auditorium | 331 East 12th Street
Meet the artists whose work is featured in the Sirovich Center Gallery & Hall. Following the Q&A, join us for a reception with light refreshments.
Week 4 | May 22 – 28
Pop-up Event: DooWop Concert
Thursday, May 25 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Location: Sirovich, Auditorium | 331 East 12th Street
Attend a mini concert featuring the cool stylings of Al Handfield (of Shep and the Limelites fame) sponsored by Senior Whole Health/Molina Healthcare.
Pop-up Events: Loco7 Puppetry
Friday, May 26 | 1:30 – 3:00 PM
Location: Sirovich, Auditorium | 331 East 12th Street
Attend a puppet show where artistic expression and cultural community meet! The show is the culmination of a three-month workshop series led by Loco7 Dance Puppet Theatre Company in partnership with Sirovich Center. All puppets were created by workshop participants for this performance.
Week 5 | May 29 – 31
Older Americans Month Closing Event
Wednesday, May 31 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Location: Manny Cantor Center | 197 East Broadway
Join us to close out a successful Celebrate Arts Festival! May 31 is National Creativity Day, so get creative with activities such as origami making and debut screening of the short film, Sidewalk Storybooks, featuring members of our Weinberg Center. It’s also International Smile Day, so put a smile on your face by entering a raffle to win prizes!