The Post-Pandemic Art Exhibit: A Surprising Virtual Experience
September 13, 2021
Hosted by Ron Roel
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Guest Information
Episode Description
When the pandemic shut down most of America last year, the arts and entertainment community was faced with a monumental challenge. How could they survive without attracting in-person audiences to their events? Surely, they could try to create online facsimiles of their events—virtual tours, exhibitions, concerts and performances—but would these activities be dynamic enough to attract broad interest from the public? That’s when Holly Gordon and Waldo Cabrera came up with a provocative new approach to the virtual art show. In today’s episode, Holly and Waldo describe their unique collaborative journey, creating exhibitions featuring artists aged 50 and older at a prominent Long Island museum. Holly, a nationally recognized fine art and documentary photographer, served as curator of these exhibits, which were sponsored by AARP New York. Waldo, an award-winning journalist with years of experience in advertising, marketing and video production, handled the many technical tasks. The resulting presentations are no mere pictures at an exhibition. Together, Holly and Wally tell the story of how they pieced together an assemblage of images, music, graphics, narration and commentary from dozens of artists into a cohesive, entertaining experience. “I’m the composer, Wally is the conductor who interprets the work,” says Holly. Both artists also stress the importance of the arts across the generations. Holly has long been an ardent advocate for older populations. And Waldo regularly bridges the generations through his years of work with film and video productions for children, including 4Kids Entertainment, the company that brought Pokémon to the United States. Indeed, their next exhibit focuses on intergenerational collaboration among artists. “We’re all 6-year-olds,” says Waldo. “We’re using art the same way. It’s entertaining, it has elements of surprise. It’s a roller coaster ride.”
45 Forward
Monday at 12 Noon Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.
My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.
The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.
Ron Roel
I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.
I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.
I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.