“Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it.” – Ai Weiwei

May 15, 2024

Dear Friends, 

I am proud and happy to introduce this issue of The Navigator for the first time as Executive Director of The Village Chicago. I look forward to sharing with all of you many more of these thought-provoking observations about the very exciting journey that is life after 50.

The subject matter presented here is art and creativity, and you will see that an active cultural life is as integral to our Village as are services, support, and volunteering with one another. Engaging in the arts is an important part of how we build community and explore relationships. Creativity in our everyday lives connects us, helps acquire new skills and emotional knowledge, and fosters growth, individually and collectively. Art opens up conversations and experiences, is accessible and available, and allows for understanding of unique perspectives as we age.



Our hope is that art speaks to you in a way that brings a spark of imagination, provokes emotion or novelty, and creates a desire to share your expression with those around you. Gather inspiration here!

Warm regards,

Niki Fox, Executive Director

"Art saves lives."

It opens up a creative path and inspires joy, hope, purpose. Art is for doing, for appreciating, for being inspired. David Brooks writing for the New Times puts it this way, "Artistic creation is the elemental human act." And Phylicia Rashad says, "Before a child talks, they sing. Before they write, they draw. As soon as they stand, they dance. Art is essential to human expression."

Art is a way for us to acquire emotional knowledge.

Reading about the experiences and motivations of others exposes us to human variety. It helps us understand ourselves through the subjective experiences of others and reveals how we are alike and how we are different - a type of insight that member Roz Duffy anticipates every week at the Village's intergenerational short story discussion group:

"The stories are an opportunity to experience art from different  cultures and different periods of history. But what's really powerful in our discussions is that each person brings their own life experience to their understanding of the story and what it means to them personally. In this way through the creativity of the storyteller, we are able to connect and know one another - and ourselves."

Art builds community.

What attaches people to a community? A Gallup poll called "Soul of the Community found that "... social offerings and aesthetics bind people to place and to each other. Art brings people together physically — at galleries, museums, performance spaces — and culturally, through its capacity to tell a community’s shared story, to inspire reflection, and form connections that transcend differences. Art binds."

This concept shapes the cultural life of the Village so that the experience of attending a performance is followed by a meal or discussion where each person's encounter with the art is transformed into a communal experience. Our location in Chicago and near a great university provides access to both world class art and music as well as a hugely varied ethnic, neighborhood, and culturally diverse landscape.

Please see some of our upcoming cultural programs on the Village event calendar below.

Art fosters inclusion.

Art can transcend cultural and other barriers, developing understanding, empathy, and an appreciation of what it is like to live a different kind of life from our own. Programs based on art provide opportunities for members experiencing cognitive decline and their care partners to engage with the community at large in group activities such as watercolor classes.

Our bi-weekly Brain Spa employs brain activities, pop culture, storytelling, and reminiscing to engage those seeking a fun and casual way to exercise their brain.

And it is frequently through literature, movies, and theater that our vibrant LGBTA committee (the "A" is for Ally) promotes inclusion by acting as a welcoming and open conduit between LGBTQ+ communities and the Village while also exploring the unique issues of aging faced by LGBTQ+ individuals.

Art supports well-being.

The importance of art in improving health and wellbeing cannot be overstated and it is supported by a robust and growing evidence base. In 2019, the World Health Organization conducted a review of the global academic literature on art and wellbeing. Results from over 3,000 studies identified a major role for the arts in the prevention of ill health, promotion of health, and management and treatment of illness across the lifespan.

Interestingly, the increase in creativity that emerged during the COVID lock-down has directed even more attention by major cultural and academic institutions to exploring the role art can play in promoting health and wellbeing.

The sense of wellbeing is as individual as a fingerprint.

There are so many pathways to finding wellbeing through engagement with art.

Piano: Angie Levenstein

"Piano music is embedded in my mind. Hearing piano music, I am stirred with a deep feeling. Its sound takes me back to a secure and comfortable place in my childhood and brings back memories of teachers who have encouraged my playing over the years. I love my piano. It gives me a way to relax, express my emotions, produce beautiful music with its tone -- or try to. When I sit down at the piano I can feel swept away and confident, enjoying the subtleties of tone and harmony, or frustrated and annoyed with my wrong notes and shortcomings in quality. The compositions and the instrument are works of art; making music - the challenge."

Movies: Ira Kohlman

"I want to be completely, totally immersed in a story and the best way to do that is in a movie. It turns the world off which is why I always prefer to watch a movie in a theater. Sensing the reactions of others adds a dimension to the experience especially if it's a comedy when sometimes they laugh and I don't; or they don't and I do. 'Why?' I wonder. My awareness of total immersion began when I was six years old and was so engaged with Willy Wonka that when the Golden Tickets came up, I cried out, 'Get us a ticket, Charlie!'"

Painting and Drawing: Cathy Charles

"I began to take my painting and drawing more seriously many years go when I learned that a famous artist liked my work. I take classes every week and right now am working mostly in watercolor. What I like best about it is that it relaxes me and the finished product makes me happy. Through this art I have learned how to be patient and how to be kind to myself. I'm surprised that I have stayed with it this long - but the more I do it, the more I enjoy it."

Professional Artist: Winnie Godfey

"As a child I found that art was something I was compelled to do. My education was meant to lead to teaching at the college level but I couldn't find a good situation, so I started painting and selling my work. While the creation is solitary, I love the interaction with people. I get to express my emotions, and my response to the word around me and also to experience how others relate and respond. I started doing the flower paintings in the middle of my career as a way to portray light, shadow, translucency, and sensuality. The business side of being a professional artist is a lot of work - but it's worth it."

An Art Lover:



"I don't have a creative bone in my body - but I appreciate art a lot. I find that just being in the presence of art and creativity makes me feel very, very calm. Right now I'm thinking of the beautiful Japanese ceramics at the Art Institute. I am aware that artists create not as a solo activity but so others can see it. Appreciation is part of what art is."

Creativity in Everyday Life

If you think of art as a "creative idea in perceivable form," it can imbue every aspect of life. You don't have to be an "artist" to create art or to be creative.

How Creative Are You?

Take this simple 2-4 minute test.

Recognizing Your Creativity

You are probably engaging in creative activities every day but don't think of them as such. Researchers of everyday creativity have found that there are two criteria that describe it: originality and meaningfulness. What matters most about everyday creative experiences is not so much what you are doing as how it makes you feel.

These experiences are often based on finding different ways of doing usual things. Some examples identified by a series of research studies include "trying different combinations of spices when cooking a meal, writing a short story or poem, decorating cupcakes, finding the right words to say to a grieving friend, arranging flowers in a vase, or playing a musical instrument."

The researchers also found that "... these everyday mundane moments are linked to discovering one’s authentic self”, and that "...through participating in meaningful everyday creative experiences or activities people may develop a sense of who they are." (Source)

Actress Helen Bonham Carter sums it up beautifully: "I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality What you believe in and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art."

Village News

Meet Niki Fox, Executive Director of The Village Chicago 

The Village Chicago appointed Niki Fox as Executive Director effective May 13, 2024. She replaces Darcy L. Evon who stepped down after five years of extraordinary contributions to the organization.

David Baker, Board Chair and Chair of the Search Committee said: "Niki's intimate knowledge of The Village's mission, members, and programs made her the ultimate choice after a thorough search. I look forward to working with her in the coming years."

Since 2015, when Fox first came to the Village she has demonstrated her strategic and operational capabilities which, combined with her skills at listening, understanding, and fulfilling individual and community needs, make her uniquely prepared to step into this role.

In her previous position as Director of Health and Wellbeing, Fox was instrumental in developing new program and service offerings with a broad range of community partners - including the development of the Village's best-in-class Memory Loss and Brain Health programs.

Fox says, “I am honored to be selected as Executive Director and eager to put my experience to work on behalf of the Village community. As The Village celebrates 15 years of service to Chicago's older adults and their families, I look forward to the future from this new vantage point, guided by our shared vision of aging well with empathy, passion, and purpose.”

You Are Invited to The Village's Annual Members Meeting!

Join us at the Chicago History Museum on June 17 from 5-7 PM for our Annual Members Meeting. Every year the Village community, friends, and families gather for a convivial cocktail hour followed by a lively presentation of what's now and what's new at the Village. You don't have to be a member to attend - all are welcome to come and meet some interesting people and find out what we're all about. It's free, but we ask that you please register here.

Board of Directors

David Baker, President 

Judith Gethner, Secretary

Joan Goldstein,

Treasurer

Kathie Kolodgy,

Vice President

Karen Terry,

Vice President

Don Bell

Jacie Brandes

Stefanie Clark

Carol Hitchie

Angie Levenstein

Molly Matthias

Liz Metzger

Gail Moss

Tom Pasker

Carol Stein

Lois Stuckey

Vamse Kumar Subbiah

Carlos Terrazas

Jan Walters

Mel Washburn

Advisory Council

Neelum T. Aggarwal, MD

Robyn L. Golden, LCSW

Joanne G. Schwartzberg, MD

Mary Ann Smith

Executive Director

Niki Fox