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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
A group of seniors sat around the conference table at the Westwood Council on Aging, each studying a handout with three different photographs printed on it. On the left side of the page was a photo of Donatello’s bronze sculpture of David, who stood with a feminine build, a sword by his side, and a hat placed over his long locks.
In the middle was Michelangelo’s nude rendition of David, who appeared as if he could be a model. Lastly, on the right hand side of the handout, was a photo of Bernini’s “David,” who was partially clothed and in the midst of hurling a rock with his slingshot.
After a few moments, the assembled shared their opinions on the three pieces and discussed what they enjoyed and disliked about each one. This is typical of Jerry Cianciolo’s “You Don’t Have to be a Connoisseur to Enjoy the Arts” workshop, which explores different topics over the course of four weeks.
Jerry focused the rest of the class on Michelangelo’s work, discussing his use of Carrara marble and one of the artist’s most famous works, the “Pietà.”
In previous weeks, the class studied the paintings of Grandma Moses and the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. For their final session, the class will be discussing literature.
Because the registration for the program is capped at 15, it allows for an interactive experience and for each participant to be actively involved. Even shy individuals in the class found themselves sharing their thoughts and opinions on the pieces, as Jerry frequently calls on people to share.
“There are no art scholars, no lectures, and no obscure details,” he said. “You won’t feel confused or intimidated. Instead, you’ll be exposed to a wide range of art forms and take part in a lot of spirited discussion.”
Jerry has been offering the program to local councils on aging for the past three years and hopes to expand it to libraries for people of all ages. The Westwood COA also hopes to have another workshop with Jerry in June, which will feature all-new topics.
