Northampton Senior Center makes call to senior artists for solo shows

NORTHAMPTON — The Senior Center is presenting senior artists with an opportunity to have their work displayed inside the center’s hallway gallery through a series of solo shows set to begin in October and run until September of next year.

Twelve artists and one alternate will be selected, and artists’ work will be displayed inside the center for two months. There is no submission fee, and the submission deadline is Friday, June 26.

Artists looking to submit their work must be 55 or older and priority is given to the artists living in or near Northampton. Submissions must be flatwork such as drawings, painting, pastel, photography, fabric or mixed media. A minimum of 12 pieces of work must be read to hang, and artists are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the features and limitations of the gallery space before applying.

To submit work, visit forms.gle/TkUEGF1uonU7Bbvr8. Artists will be notified by July 17 and randomly assigned months and spaces for shows. The Northampton Senior Center takes no percentage of sales, but they encourage a donation if a show is financially successful.

Senior Center Assistant Director Nancy Yesu and Jeanne Henry-Hoose, organizer behind the center’s call to artists, spoke with Reminder Publishing about the opportunity for local seniors looking to showcase their work.

Yesu credited Henry-Hoose for her leadership behind this effort since 2017 and for bringing senior artists’ work in the building while adding to the charm of the community space. Henry-Hoose, who also serves on the Council on Aging, said the gallery hallway has always been a popular feature for those looking to engage with local art. When she began organizing the effort, she established a volunteer committee made up of artists that helps select submitted art for solo shows like this one.

“It’s definitely a beloved program. I feel like it gives seniors in the area an opportunity to shine in a space that is going to be seen by a fair amount of people. We have 200 people a day walking through the building, and so it’s just an honor to recognize older adults in the community that are doing creative, beautiful work,” said Yesu. “With the help of Jeanne’s volunteer committee, it’s a nice variety. One month it could be quilts, the next month it could be photography. There’s lots of creative folks who are older adults, and we just want to give them a space to shine and a space for people to enjoy the work, so it kind of goes both ways. Hopefully it’s a good experience for the people who are showing their work, and then it’s a beautiful experience for those who are seeing it.”

Over the last two years, the center has also begun offering additional gallery space within its Bistro and Coffee Shop spaces inside the building. According to organizers, the space has become popular in tandem with Arts Night Out Northampton, and has become a secondary exhibit location for some of the artists chosen for the solo shows.

Alongside the shows, Northampton Senior Center will also sponsor six joint receptions in conjunction with Northampton Arts Night Out, giving artists during certain months additional exposure from the visitors coming through as part of that program.

“That also gives us exposure in the community. We always like to make people aware that we’re down here and what we offer here, and I will say, it does draw folks here for that, and every time, there are folks who enter our building for the first time and say, ‘I didn’t know you were down here,’ or ‘I didn’t know the senior center existed, we came because of Arts Night Out,’” said Yesu.

Regarding the Arts Night Out events, Henry-Hoose added, “We combine two artists so the draw for people is even bigger. It brings more people here and then each artists gets the benefit of the other person’s crowd.”

Yesu said that in general, showcasing local arts at the Senior Center has been a positive and enjoyable time for the community. She added that she sees people stop and observe the work on display every day, and she hopes artists recognize the amount of exposure their work receives from this experience.

“Sometimes I feel bad because I feel like the artists don’t know that that’s happening every single day, but the staff sees it and how enjoyable it is for folks and the comments that we get,” said Yesu. “In a world that sometimes isn’t as joyful as you would hope, this sort of little bit of joy is so special, and that’s why I said it’s just beloved.”

Henry-Hoose, who began painting herself after retiring from her career, said that an opportunity like this, with no application fee or commission being taken, makes it a less intimidating and more accessible showcase opportunity for artists of all skill levels.

“Some people have done it as a hobby their whole lives, and some people have been professionals, and some people have just started. It’s a wide range,” added Henry-Hoose. “As somebody who has started painting, having a juried show, it’s a risk to send your stuff out and have people judge it, but it’s also an important step in order to find validation.”

Yesu added that many senior artists have flourished in the space thanks to the positive nature and welcoming environment the center has created around its hallway gallery space.

“We do love that aspect of encouraging older adults to tap into their creative side and hopefully be motivated by what they see,” Yesu said. “We could show anybody’s work. We could show the kids from the high school and that would be great too, but that’s not what our purpose is here at the Senior Center. It’s to highlight what people are doing in their advanced years and just trying to be, in some ways, motivating and supportive of the possibilities.”

For more information visit the Senior Services’ Facebook page.

“Jeanne’s been instrumental. Without her it would be an entirely different situation and we’re so grateful to her and her committee. It’s been wonderful collaboration and it’s just absolutely beloved,” added Yesu.