An NYC show spotlights a new generation of artists: all of them over 60

A new generation of artists will show their work tonight in Downtown Manhattan. While their styles vary widely, the artists have one thing in common: They’re all at least 60 years old. A handful are in their 80s and 90s.

For many participating artists, the JASA Art Show is their first chance to pursue a long-deferred dream.

For others, like Bill Karam or Angelo Romano, it’s a continuation of work they’ve done for decades.

“There are some very impressive works,” said the show’s curator Hannah Murray, whose paintings have been exhibited internationally. She volunteered to help after being introduced to JASA — the Jewish Association Serving the Aging — by her husband’s grandmother, who is one of the association's trustees.

JASA provides a wide variety of social services to 40,000 older adults in New York City and operates 10 affordable housing properties. It also offers free art classes for folks over 60.

Fira Shvarts, 68, has been taking classes in Brighton Beach through JASA since 2019, and will be among the artists making their gallery debuts.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “It’s the first time in my life that my work will be on the wall somewhere else."

As a child growing up in the Soviet Union, Shvarts was always drawing. But her parents, Moldovan Jews who missed out on getting an education and whose relatives were killed in World War II, had other plans. They were also wary of the odds of their daughter making a living as an artist.

“How many Marc Chagalls do you know?” asked Shvarts, explaining her family’s rationale. She says she understood why her parents pushed her to study engineering even though she thought it could sound cruel.

But now, 50 years and a life on another continent later, she’s thrilled to show her paintings, many of which are inspired by Chagall.

Her husband and biggest fan, Isaac Shvarts, 73, will not be able to attend because he has had trouble walking, and her sister is “across the sea” in Israel. But Shvarts plans to send them pictures from the night.

Allister Wesson, JASA's chief development and communications officer, says the first art show was held in September 2019 as a way to celebrate the community's talent. It was a success, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, derailing plans for future events – until now.

Wesson says that the most meaningful part of organizing this show is seeing the joy it brings the artists. For some, like Shvarts, it’s a chance to finally pursue a passion.

For others, it’s not just fun – it’s lifesaving.

“It's giving them hope,” Wesson said. “It’s giving them joy.” She’s heard from seniors who say that being an artist means everything to them.

“I found a new purpose for my life,” Shvarts said. “When you draw, you forget about everything.”

She added that getting older can be hard. “After 60, we all have our problems at home, or a sick spouse, or our health [is] not perfect," she said.

Shvarts is also happy to have found friends in her class, including artists she considers more talented than she is.

These days, she paints to impress herself and her husband. He once surprised her at a dinner party by showing off a folder of her work to his friends – after he’d secretly collected doodles she’d discarded because she thought they weren’t good enough to save. (Recalling the moment, she laughs and says that he probably had too much wine that night.)

“We want to be seen by the public,” Shvarts said. “It doesn't matter our age. We are blooming, and we are dreaming, and we are still alive.”

But Shvarts dreams of more than just being seen: She wants to sell a piece.

“That way I will be completely happy,” she said.

The JASA Art Show takes place on Thursday, March 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Evelyn & Louis Green Residence at Cooper Square, 200 East Fifth St. It’s free and open to the public. Art is available for sale and all proceeds go to JASA.