[Pasadena Village]
How do we see Blackness? How has art influenced our vision and understanding of race and identity? These are some of the questions that will be discussed Friday, March 1 at the next Conversations with Arts series, a monthly program hosted by Pasadena Village, a community organization for older adults.
The event, titled “1619: Black Portrayals in European Art,” will be led by Helane Rheingold, an art education consultant who has over 30 years of experience in teaching and curating art. Rheingold will show the participants a selection of paintings that feature Black individuals in various roles and contexts, from servants and slaves to soldiers and saints.
The event happens to be one of the concluding events for Pasadena’s Black History Month celebration.
“I always do a program of African-American and European Black artists,” Rheingold said. “There’s a consistent theme throughout the 400 years of European art by white artists that I’m going to show everybody and hopefully at the end of our conversation, people will come up with their own theme.”
Rheingold’s approach to interpretation fosters dialogue and introspection. She promises a true conversation, where she would learn more from the people in her group and they learn from her.
The session promises to be a mosaic of perspectives, with each artwork offering unique insights. Rheingold emphasized the significance of audience engagement, inviting participants to share their reflections and explore further beyond the event.
“We’re going to be talking about 10 different pieces of art over 400 years,” she said. “Each piece, each particular image I’ve chosen, will say something different or somewhat the same. So I’m not picking any one particular piece. They’re all significant. At the end of the conversation, people will tell me which one they felt was more impactful on them, more significant to them, something that they may remember.”
Pasadena Village’s “1619: The Lingering Imprint” is a discussion group inspired by the New York Times’ magazine issue, “1619 Project,” in August 2019. The group meets frequently to talk about the history of racism in America and to understand its origins and its residual impact.
During the event, everyone is invited to join and share their views, and to learn how members of the community experience racism in their own lives.
Pasadena Village said community members from other villages and guests are always welcome.
To register to attend, visit https://www.pasadenavillage.
For more information, call (626) 765-6037.
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