Elderly artists from several local senior residential facilities are readying themselves for their big exhibition not at a fancy gallery but at the LA Mission, one of the city’s most vital homeless centers. 20 seniors who partake in art classes offered by various senior residential facilities owned and managed by real estate giant Goldrich Kest will unveil 100 paintings that underscore the theme of the exhibit, the “Art of Hope,” on Friday, December 10 at 11 a.m. One of the artists, Jessie McLachlan, 90 who resides at Goldrich Kest’s Neilson Villa in Santa Monica, is helping coordinate the effort.
“We so enjoy creating art. It allows us a means of expressing ourselves, but instead of working in a vacuum, we decided to involve the greater community and so we came up with the theme, the Art of Hope, and reached out to the LA Mission to explore presenting our works,” says McLachlan, who estimates that approximately 100 works will be on view. “We are so excited to meet the folks being helped by the Mission, share why we are doing this exhibition and see, firsthand, if our art will lift their spirits.
Goldrich Kest is a 61-year-old company founded by Holocaust survivors Jonah Goldrich and Saul Kest who built a mega-successful real estate development and management company in Culver City. Many of their properties cater to seniors and offer in-house arts classes to keep them active, alert and give their lives purpose.
Today, their descendants, known within the company as “G2: The Next Generation,” continue to build upon the eponymous company’s ever-expanding portfolio of residential, commercial, industrial and retail projects. Among them are 125 apartment buildings with 13,864 units, 2,087 boat slips at 5 California marinas, 22 senior living facilities with 4,220 beds, and scattered throughout the US, more than 6 million square feet of commercial and industrial space. Goldrich Kest is committed to continuing its support and contribution to providing affordable housing to the residents and communities it serves. For more information about the company, visit goldrichkest.com.
Established in 1936, Los Angeles Mission strives to be a world leader in providing for the poor, restoring sobriety among those facing substance issues and eliminating homelessness. The faith-based LA Mission says it aims for its clients to become physically and spiritually healthy; equipped to participate in society through education; enjoy independent living; and encouraged to create relationships of love and service to others in accordance with God's word. LA Mission also seeks to help those who have been abused, neglected and addicted to find better lives.
Los Angeles Mission is located at 303 East 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Call (213) 629-1227 ext. 400 or visit [email protected]