Share the Korean Experience in America at this Year’s Creative Aging Festival

by Don Harmon, AARP Volunteer Marketing and Communications Specialist

This May the public will be able to see the remarkable work of the Korean Central Senior Center (KCSC) artists at the Creative Aging Festival sponsored by Fairfax County, AARP Virginia, the Fairfax County Arts Council together with several community organizations and businesses. This month-long festival features a wide range of art programming including performances, poetry readings, art exhibits, lectures, and classes. The festival also includes programs that unlock the creative spirit through yoga, tai chi and even a walk through a beautiful garden labyrinth.

For the first time, artwork from the Korean Central Senior Center will be on display at the Fairfax Government Center and other local sites.  This is an important event you won’t want to miss.

The KCSC, located in Centreville Virginia, is a major gathering of the Korean community.  Dr. Heisung Lee, the KCSC Director, says the Senior Center, which was started in 1994, now has over 1,050 participants annually and is the largest senior center in Fairfax County.  It provides comprehensive services for the health and welfare of the senior Korean community.  Over 100 volunteers provide help in a culturally supportive environment.  Currently the KCSC offers thirty-eight classes on 30 subjects.  Five of these are art classes taught on Tuesdays and Fridays and have 78 students.  The Creative Aging Festival will provide an opportunity for the public to see their amazing art and understand how art is an important part of the Center’s program to provide for wellness and creative aging.

Korean art expresses the artist’s life.  Each artist brings a lifetime of experience, talent and knowledge to their work.  Under the guidance of skilled instructors at the Central Senior Center, the student artists learn how to express their inner selves through the media of painting, drawing, origami and calligraphy.  Below is an example from the drawing class taught by Ms. Grace Kim.  One can see how the visible branches and hidden roots of the plants are supported by being bound together.  The water level appears transparent and changes over time.

The following two photos show the Oriental Art Class taught by Mr. Dae Sung Kim and one of their paintings. Mr. Kim has been an Instructor with the Central Senior Center for 15 years and teaches traditional brush-strokes, color, design and fidelity to reality.  This can be seen in his painting where the ancient branches of a tree give rise to new flowers and life.

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Calligraphy is also considered one of the fine arts in Asia.  The Center has classes in both Korean calligraphy, taught by Ms. On goo Chun, and Chinese Calligraphy, taught by Ms. Young Soo Kim.  Rice paper is used and each brush-stroke represents a symbol that expresses an idea.  This photo shows a student recoding a verse from the scripture of Philippians. Notice the brush-strokes and the tray of ink made from the soot of pine sap and glue.  Each stroke, through varying ink intensities, helps represent the idea and feeling being portrayed.

Origami artists comprise a fourth group at the Central Services Center and carry on traditions that have been used for hundreds of years in Asia. Origami is the art of paper folding and involves many complex folds.  Some artists fold abstract or mathematical shapes and others make copies of a simple folded shape that are assembled to form large elaborate structures.  The work of the Instructor, Ms. Monarisa Chiang, and her students is shown in the photo below.  Also supporting this work are Instructors Ms. Sandy Kim, Kyung Ja Chang, and Yoon Kyung Park.

While this artwork highlights the passion of these senior Korean artists, these classes also contribute to the well-being of the artists.  Research conducted by Dr. Gene D. Cohen and others, at George Washington University, showed that professionally conducted community-based cultural programs reported a higher overall rating of physical health, fewer doctor visits, less medication use, fewer instances of falls, and fewer other health problems in people over 65 years of age. Dr. Lee indicates that many of the KCSC participants have noted  health and well-being benefits  from the Center’s programs.

Check out the festival calendar for a list of all the events.

This year’s Festival partners include the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the Fairfax Area Commission on Aging, the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging, Fairfax County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, Public Libraries, Adult Day Health Care Centers, Long Term Care Coordinating Committee, George Washington University, the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations, the National Center on Creative Aging, Goodwin House at Alexandria and Bailey’s Crossroads, AARP Virginia, and Pure Prana Yoga Studio.

All photos are courtesy of Don Harmon and the Korean Central Senior Center.

 

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