Artists in Residence: Connecting Generations through Street Stories
Thank you to everyone who attended our online forum on February 15, 2024! The recording of this live conversation has been published as an At Home, On Air podcast episode. Enjoy listening to the conversation & please share!
You may also find us by searching for ‘At Home, On Air’ wherever you listen to podcasts.
What is the role of empathy in your work?
“Fundamentally, a lot of it is about storytelling and people sharing stories & experiences … that human-to-human contact. Sharing is how we build empathy for each other and understanding so that we can develop relationships and connection. We don’t always agree; you can’t expect that. But I think if you can hear and listen and have empathy for human beings … at a human level, that provides a way to keep people together and part of a hopefully a thriving dialogical community.”
– Laura Nova
Thank You to Our Featured Guest:
Laura Nova | Artist, Educator, Activist
Thank You to Our Forum Hosts:
Susi Stadler | Architect & Executive Director of AHWGO
Rachael Friedman | Psychologist & AHWGO Board Member
Conversation Details:
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with Laura Nova, a visionary artist, activist, and creative force based in NYC. Explore how Laura’s artistic vision goes beyond aesthetics – boosting health and spreading delight throughout her city and neighborhood. We’ll delve into the extraordinary world of Laura’s inventive urban art and discover how we can all become Artists in Residence, contributing to the creation, connection, and problem-solving that connects generations.
This conversation about her work offers another perspective on our season topic of, “Exploring Healthy Aging in the Places We Call Home: From a Piece of Nature to Our Bodies.”
Watch: Laura Nova: Creating Art Across Generations, an ALL ARTS PBS Documentary
More About Laura Nova:
Laura Nova is an artist, educator, and activist who lives and works on New York’s Lower East Side, creating festive, absurdist spectacles that unite generations and diverse communities. The first Public Artist in Residence to be embedded in New York City’s Department for the Aging, Nova brings expertise and empathy to her projects and actions, designing each element to enhance social wellness and decrease social isolation. Working in festivals, public monuments, and the city street, Nova delivers spiels to homebound New Yorkers, organizes an older adult cheerleading squad and designs crafting kits, guides, and costumes that help nurture emerging activists of all ages. Nova received a B.F.A. and B.A. from Cornell University and an M.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a visiting professor in the CareLab at The New School and an Urban Field Station Collaborative Artist in Residence, advocating for the “care” of both human and tree to become centenarians.
Takeaway Resources:
“From Loneliness to Playfulness: Rediscovering Life Outside the Home” | An AHWGO Something to Write Home About resource letter by Susanne Stadler
KQED’s “Dealing with Loneliness in California” | Listen to the segment from January 19, 2024
“An Artist Who Calls the Sanitation Department Home” | A New York Times article about NYC public servant, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, published on September 21, 2016
Explore Laura’s Projects:
NYC Social Club Design for the Future – Delicious Memories – Kick Activist – Feed Me a Story – Spiels on Wheels – LES Citizen Parade – Moving Stories
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The original, live conversation was recorded on:
Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 5:30 PM PST.