THE HUB FOR SENIOR ENTREPRENEURS 60+-

The social policy towards senior citizens in Israel during the Corona outbreak, which turned them overnight from creative active citizens to a weakened risk group ordered to stay isolated at home, raised complex emotions among this age group.

The Haifa community of activist entrepreneurs aged 60+ who are members of “The Hub for Senior Entrepreneurs” chose to take action. They initiated the “Active Aging” campaign as an anti-ageism protest, in an attempt to change public discourse around age.

The virtual exhibition, a product of the Active Aging campaign, presents a collection of audio visual content; video clips, radio podcasts, posters and original works of art, created and curated by entrepreneurs aged 60+, reflecting their energy, vitality, productivity and activism during the Corona crisis in 2020.

“The Hub for Senior Entrepreneurs” was established in 2016 as a partnership between the Welfare Department of Haifa Municipality, ‘Zionism 2000’ and Migdal, and operates as an incubator for senior citizens aged 60+, who wish to develop ideas and initiatives into socio-economic entrepreneurship. By positioning this age group in the center stage, the Hub serves as a catalyst for social change, particularly in terms of attitudes towards the third age.

The Hub’s vision is to assist senior citizens in finding their unique path towards a meaningful and valuable life, in which they can share accumulated knowledge and experience, develop new projects, and reach self-realization, economic and social improvement, which will benefit themselves and their communities.

The Hub offers a range of acceleration programs for social and business entrepreneurs. It provides access to professional workshops, courses, meet-ups, personal training and group facilitation, alongside inspiring lectures that encourage social activism and personal growth.

The Hub operates within Haifa’s entrepreneurial  ecosystem in collaboration with business companies, start-ups, industry organizations, academic institutions and local authorities.

Curator’s statement

In the shadow of the Corona epidemic, when the intensity of life came to a halt, the at-risk age group was forced to shut themselves at homes and maintain severe social distance. Only then, the vitality of 60+ people was discovered.

The ‘Gold in Art’ exhibition reflects the intense & full of enthusiasm work  of retired artists, residents of Haifa area, whose love for their city,  for the surrounding human landscape, and especially for life, is well evident in their works.

The works from the fields of painting, sculpture, photography and poetry are displayed in the exhibition in weekly themed rooms: renewal and activism, the power of nature, the figure of the woman, and a view of the open horizon.

The works resonate with an increase in cognitive and mental skills, as they progress in age: associative and creative thinking, multiplicity of perspectives in broad contexts, higher emotional intelligence – empathy towards ourselves and towards others.

As recent brain function studies in adults show, artists of the “Age of Reason” are living evidence of the existence of a new functional life cycle, personal growth, and most importantly a significant socio-cultural contribution through the creation of art: “The things we say and do […] create and leave an impression in the minds of others, just as impressions created by the writer’s pen remain on the paper, the painter’s brush remain on the canvas, the potter’s fingers remain  in the material. Creating ourselves, while listening to the works of others.”

This exhibition refutes the public perception of the “expiration” of retirees, and allows an optimistic view and aspiration for a balanced, happy and meaningful life.

Miri Lev – Curator of the exhibition

* The exhibition was curated as part of the Kibbutzim Seminar’s final studies project

Miri Lev, 67. Curator. B.A. in Art History and Education, M.A. in Computers in Education, Industrial Design Studies.

Behind me 35 years of teaching in various fields: science, technology, computers, history, citizenship and leading projects of “young entrepreneurs”.

When I retired, I volunteered as part of “The Bow” – a community theater that connects secular and ultra-Orthodox women. At the same time, I studied curatorship, which  led me to volunteer to curate the art exhibition ofHaifa’s “Hub for Senior Entrepreneurs” as part of the Active Aging campaign.

Currently working on additional exhibitions under the subject of aging at the Nuzha Gallery in Jaffa and the Proud Center in Tel Aviv.

The exhibition was curated as part of the final project of curatorial studies, Kibbutzim Seminary College

4. Zvi Lanir, “The Time of Reason: The New Age in Human Life”, Niv Books, 2017.

5. As Zvi Lanir defines the period of life from retirement age to the end of life.

6. Stephen Batchelor, Buddhism without Beliefs, p. 123. In Carmel Shalev “Thanks to Aging”, Pardes Publishing, 2019.

At the background of isolation and social distance, the camera and the hand holding the brush focus on the expressions of the human spirit, which does not give up optimism, love, friendship and activism.

Artists: 

Levia meister, Edna J Redlich, Gila Lifshitz

Edna J Redlich

Edna J Redlich. 66 years old. I’ve been taking pictures since I was 16. For me, seeing the world through a camera is an experience that brings insights and views about the world and its vitality. During this recent restrictive period, my camera lens has managed to find its way to me, and to my senior friends, who refused to shut themselves in their homes.

Tamara 2019

Tamara Amitai, a poet and playwright, founded the Haifa Fringe Theater called “Haifa City Center Theater”. Technique: Photography.

A-Social Distance 2020

The morning parliament at Bat Galim beach. Technique: Photography.

The Photographer’s Smile 2019

Photographers’ meet at the flea market in Haifa. Technique: Photography.

Gila Lifshitz

I devoted my time to my family for many  years. I have now decided to  dedicate myself to my own creativity and self-development. For me, painting is a means  of expression which enables me  to step forward towards  personal fulfillment. I dance with the brush and paint the dance of life.

A bloom of Anemones Beyond the Horizon 2020

The spring born painter celebrates this season every year with renewed blossom. Technique: Oil paint on canvas. Dimensions 60 X 100 cm

The spring born painter celebrates this season every year with renewed blossom. Technique: Oil paint on canvas. Dimensions 80 X 60 cm

Blossom and Harmony 2020

A bee rests in the shade of the flower. An animal and a plant that enjoy each other’s company. Technique: Oil paint on canvas. Dimensions 70 X 50 cm

Levia Meister

Levia Meister 60 (plus) years old. Multidisciplinary Artist. 

At some point after my retirement, I decided to contribute to society through my art, which addresses ecological failures, in order to raise public awareness and hopefully create change. We are “on the edge” in terms of our relationship with the environment, and we cannot afford to keep silent.

The garbage Beds 2014

‘The Missile’ building, an architectural work of art, is located in an area with great potential for tourism. But it lies in piles of rubble and garbage which no one bothers to clear up. Dimensions 70 X 90 cm, Acrylic paint, mixed technique.

Haifa Haifa, industrial town 2005

Haifa is proud of its 500 contaminating industrial plants and its international port, which unloads oil straight into the sea. The birds are first to pay the price, and we are next in line. Dimensions 70 X 90 cm, Acrylic paint, mixed technique.

Cooling tower 2014

Dirt kills. These pink cooling towers have a black story to tell. Dimensions 70 X 90 cm, Acrylic paint, mixed technique.

women’s figure

Our weekly theme is the women’s figure. The woman imprisoned in society’s dictates, commitments and inhibitions, and may hide her true personality, desires and personal truth. Upon reaching the age of wisdom she finds the freedom to break out, express, and realize her inner self with all its power.

Amira Raviv

Amira Raviv. 70 years old. Multidisciplinary artist -photographer and painter who creates mixed media art using combined techniques.

I have finally reached the age  in which I can exercise free choice and I take full advantage of this. I Enjoy every moment of no longer owing anything to anyone.  I live in Wadi Salib, and am inspired by this special place where new versus old, construction and restoration reside in close proximity.

From Darkness to Light 2018

An expression of  the beauty of women. Masks illuminate the faces, as if to bring the individuals out of the darkness many women are subjected to. Dimensions: 22X16 cm. Materials: metallic paint, wood and metal fragments. Technique: Plastic design in powertex

The Women from the Desert 2018

The women of the Tuareg tribe in the Sahara desert in Morocco, who wear blue. Dimensions: 40X30 cm. Materials: metallic wax, cotton. Technique: Plastic design in powertex

Woman Sh Sh Sh

Women should “be beautiful and silent.” The eyes are almost expressionless, and the mouth is covered-  as if saying “no one wants to hear what a woman has to say”. Dimensions: 40X30 cm. Materials: metallic wax, cotton. Technique: Plastic design in powertex

Aharon Aki Flexer

Aharon Aki Flexer. Age 67. Autodidact photographer.

I mainly photograph outdoors. Streets, people, portraits, water sports, conceptual nudity and architecture. I have been curiously exploring the streets as an adventurous hunter for over a decade. When an interesting subject catches my eye, I make contact, start a conversation, request permission, and then I shoot, with minimal disturbance. My view penetrates the subject in an attempt to reveal the power s/he reflects, with a lot of love.

“G0lden in the Market” 2019

Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams

Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green. Technique: Photography.

“Tatiana – With My Own Hands” 2018

I built everything with my own hands. I work tirelessly. Past, present and future. Technique: Photography.

“The Power in the Eyes” 2017

What do the eyes of the lady from the market reveal, when she is caught on camera? Technique: Photography.

Bruria Meirson

Bruria Meirson. 73 years old. Painter, Photographer

My painting and photography subjects are very diverse. I take pictures all the time and document whatever comes my way. The view  from my window, the colors of the morning reflected in the sky and the flowers blooming along the promenade… I paint landscapes, still and mostly drawn to painting masks and flamenco dancers, as I find interest in the mysteries behind the mask and the power, passion and vitality that flamenco dancers radiate.

“An Initiative in the Making” 2006

The inner force gains momentum. dimension: 30×40 cm. Technique: Painting. Pastel color – colored chalks.

“Erupting Vitality” 2006

The dancer embodies an erupting creative force. dimension: 50×70 cm. Technique: Painting, acrylic paint

“The Secret Behind the Mask” 2006

The secret female bond, which only women can understand. dimension: 30×40 cm. Technique: Painting. Pastel color – colored chalks.

The cycle of the seasons entails, flowering and growth

Like nature, so is the human soul. The ability to transform destructive forces beyond his control, grows construction, liberation and joy of life that scatter love everywhere.

MARLENE ARKIN FERRER

Marlen Ferrer. Age 68. I live in Tivon, the place where I create and teach. My home is like a womb where artistic births are created. A place where my students feel the joy of creation; Shapes, patterns, without time rise and fulfill themselves in the paintings of flowers, trees, geometric bodies. There is no end to the connections that reflect the way the universe evolves and man evolves

Dad’s head 1976

I created the statue in Dad’s presence several weeks before he passed away. This is the longest time I’ve ever sat in front of him. Sculpture made of clay and bronze casting. Human size.

The golden egg

We live in an age where money motivates man. The nest symbolizes the earth and still manages to preserve the golden egg. A work consisting of a combination of natural materials and metal. The egg is made from a collection of coins, the nest is made from parts of a palm tree. Diameter 100 cm.

Flower Explosion 2003

During the Second Gulf War, I watched a rock penetrated by Katyusha, and that was my inspiration. A work composed of natural materials of the palm tree. Diameter 100 cm.

Anat Golandski – Conti

Anat Golandski – Conti Lives and creates in Tivon. Engaged in sculpture, painting and collage in a wide variety of materials. Art therapist, and Family workshops consultant. Believes that for artists, creation is a necessity and a life mission. Most of us bring messages that we receive from collective and universal sources. That is why many times art is not understood and is ahead of its time. The aesthetic laws are parallel and reflect cosmic laws. In my art I mostly work on transformation and situations related to the human psyche on its levels.

Exit from the inner prison 2004

Many times we feel trapped in an internal or external situation. The key to getting out of this prison is the understanding that we ourselves are prison and the prisoner, and we have the power to change. Materials: Bronze on mesh. Dimensions: 40 × 40 × 60 cm

Seasons, Marble 2010

Double-sided sculpture. Every season the tree looks different. it goes from coma to blosom in a cycle. This statue is also transparent, on each side in every season the light is present in it. Dimensions: 60 × 60 × 15 cm. Height with base 1.50 m

Seasons, bronze on grid 2015

In both sculptures of the seasons there is a desire to embroider as one weaves lace. Put the forces of nature and express the same material. Here, too, the tree has a different face on each side – in each season. A work that integrates through the spaces and the shadow with the environment. Dimensions: 35 × 34 × 6 cm.

Aviva Shemer

Aviva Shemer. 78 years old. Multidisciplinary artist and therapist. Author of “The power of a word” and expanded edition in English, with which, so attest my readers, found strength in them. People who hated everything involved in Judaism, found for the first time a lot of beauty in it, and said that “you have opened a window for us to a world we did not know”

Love in days of Corona 2020

My daughters came to me after months of not seeing each other due to the corona, with a huge bunch of red flowers. They stood upstairs, opening their arms for a warm hug, as usual, which was stopped in the middle. Must not embrace. I drew the red flowers and the hug that stopped in the middle, and contained all the love and longing that was there. This is love in days of Corona. Dimensions: 70X100 cm. Technique: Painting, oil on canvas

Tireless creative flow resulting from the maturity spring, experience, insight, reflect the calm and tranquility of good faith and wonderful world “if only we ask”

Pnina Alexander

Perspective in Turquoise

Pnina Alexander. In her 60s. 4 years in retirement. For the past three years I have embarked on a journey of discovery in which there is no good or bad; Beautiful not beautiful; right or wrong. It started with meticulous realistic painting and continued with a self-search for freedom of expression through color, shapes and texture. It included an optimistic and liberating process from the protected, known as an expression of flow in a space of uncertainty.

Perspectives take on the meaning that man pours into.

Digits and numbers

Digits and numbers

Corona days inspired by the segmentation of the number of infected

Layers of life

Layers of life

A collage of life, emotions, depth of color and touch

Ora Haim

Ora Haim. Age 68. Ever since I can remember, I have been painting. I always knew that the talent for painting was a godsend for me. I studied at the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem. After my marriage, I moved to Haifa and completed a BA degree in the Department of Creative Arts at the University of Haifa. For many years I worked as an art teacher at “Hugim” high school, and in recent years, I have been the curator of the Haifa Theater Art Gallery. The paintings I present in this exhibition were made using a unique technique I developed. I use hamra soil, which I mix with special adhesives. After the mixture dries, I paint on it in oil paints. The strong and flexible material on the fabric creates a rich and thick texture, which gives the works a dimension of relief, designed by me in the form of

Earth 1 2016

Hill in Galilee. Dimensions 60X70 cm

Earth 2 2016

Jezreel Valley View Dimensions 60X70 cm

Earth 3 2016

Landscape with sheep. Dimensions 70X85 cm

Ilana Carmel

Ilana Carmel. 72 years old. Loves social life. Active and volunteers in various organizations: “The Association for the Blind.” Radio drama hosted by Yoav Carmel. “Time Haifa” – a communal television reporter. Sing in the “Haifa Municipality Retirement Choir” conducted by Tova Porat. Member of the Journalists’ Association and “Northern Inspiration” – in which I lead meetings of writers and poets. Member of the “Pisgat Carmel Club” – immigrants from Central Europe.

Bereshit poetry 2019

Bereshit poetry 2019

Written in honour of Simchat Torah, towards reading Genesis. The lines of the poem are according to the word “Bereshit”. Each line begins with a letter that makes up the word.

Just love 2019

A song written in honor of spring

Once on a bluish moon, summer 2018

Memories of an old love

LEE RAY

Lee Ray. A senior citizen who graduated from the Technion in Haifa. Studied civil engineering, and painting. Writes and paints for many years – oil, acrylic and water, creates paintings and comics.  Illustrated books that were bestsellers. Engaged in the development of projects in several areas.

Facebook page: Lee Ray Haifa

A friend from Sao Paulo Brazil, 2020

Acrylic on canvas. Dimensions 80/80 cm

Hecht Garden in Haifa, 2020

Hecht Garden in Haifa is locked in a first lockdown, acrylic on canvas. Dimensions 80/80 cm

Two Faces woman, 2020

Acrylic on canvas. Dimensions 30/40 cm

Marina and Dan Klinger

Dan, Retired Director of Computing and ICT at the Faculty of Architecture at the Technion. In recent years, together with his wife Marina (artist, musician and communication clinician), Dan and Marina have embarked on a creative journey: By 3D printing, artistic decorative objects are produced. “It is important that our creative process is always inspired by both of us. We create lamps inspired by marine nature – sea creatures, corals, algae and more. The lampshades ‘play’ the music of the corals. The meshed body combined with the light simulates the quiet tempo of the seabed. Relaxing and connecting to the universe. We find in the sea a celestial geometry, a combination of art and analytics, which represents the harmonious connection between computing and creation.”

Avital Aloni

Avital Aloni.  70 years old. When I retired about ten years ago, I turned to specializing in photography, which until then had been a hobby. During this time I participated in photography courses and artist workshops with various photographers-artists, deepened my knowledge and expanded my skills in the field. Over the years I have participated in several group exhibitions.

These days I am participating in the exhibition “Picture in a Frame” curated by Micha Brickman, which takes place at the Carmelit stations and in its carriages. My solo exhibition – “Badlat Amot” is currently on display at the Kiryat Tivon Memorial Center, curated by Shachar Distelfeld-Marin.

Series name: If you watch – you reach at marvelous places

At a time when there is a clearer recognition that what is left is the house with everything inside and what enters through its windows, magic happens. The house becomes a treasure trove of events and scenes which Normally I do not see and do not stop for a moment to look at. A magical box of lights and shadows and objects that have meanings and sub-interpretations opens up around me. The photographs replace the words and betray feelings and sensations – ranging from anxiety, through resignation to a slight feeling of an extended stay at home.

Avital Aloni

March 2021

GLOTMAN MOSHE

GLOTMAN MOSHE. 89 years old. Poet and writer. Old age but young in spirit. Dedicates the book “Poetry Paths” in memory of his late brother Simon, who perished in the Coastal Road massacre in March 1978.

Human way

March 18th 1986

A walking novel

Feb. 2nd 1989

Will be good

Oct. 29th 1996 (Russian melody)

Wrinkles of Wisdom

Aging Pop-ups