Arts and Fitness

At Iona, we understand the importance of aging well by staying physically and mentally active. That is why we offer a range of activities that will help you to age well and live well. We encourage you to participate in one of our many fitness classes, art classes, and clubs.

We also invite you to visit our art gallery featuring artwork by highly talented senior artists in our community.

We hope to see you soon!

For more information about our wellness and arts programs, please click below or call 202-895-9448.     

Upcoming Events:

Lunch and Learn: Meet the Artists

Thursday, January 19, 2012, 12:30-1:30 pm

Our upcoming exhibit will feature the glassworks of Special Guest Artists Varda Avnisan and Jill Tanenbaum.  To learn about Varda and Jill's work in glass, reserve a seat today by calling (202) 895-9407.  Bring your own lunch.

Thursday, January 26, 2012, 12:30-1:30 pm

Our next Artist in Residence, George Smith-Shomari, is a printmaker, painter, and artistic consultant.  To meet George and learn more about his printmaking, reserve a seat today by calling (202) 895-9407.  Bring your own lunch.

Art Classes At Iona

At Iona, we understand the relationship between wellness and arts and aging well. We believe in the value of aging well through creative arts. We also are very proud of The Gallery at Iona which features the works of highly talented senior artists in the community.

For more information about any of these Winter 2012 programs please call (202) 895-9448, select option 4, or contact us.

Try Your Hand at Art

Find inspiration, explore your creative side, and develop your own artistic vision in this class led by fomer Artists in Residence. These classes are suitable for all levels. Chuck's class will show you how to create a collage using found objects and other arts mediums; and in Liz's classes you will learn to create pop-up cards and explore printmaking.  Drop-ins are welcome.

Click Here for a registration form.

 Laughter Yoga 

Memoir Writing Group

Begin a memoir, tell a single episode in a short-story form, reflect on your life's journey, or put the finishing touches on an autobiography. Led by Sushmita Mazumdar, an Arlington-based writer, book artist, and educator.  She will offer tips to get you started, keep you going, and provide critiques along the way. Participants will receive advice if requested, editing when needed, and encouragement at all times. This class is suitable for all levels.  Drop-ins welcome. Click here for a registration form.

Handmade Books

Make a different book each class, exploring book formats and various materials, as you find new ways to express yourself and have fun.  No book arts experience necessary. This class is all about getting inspired, using your hands, and playing with paper. Led by Sushmita Mazumdar, an Arlington-based writer, book artist, and educator.  This class is suitable for all levels.  Drop-ins are welcome.  Click Here for a registration form.

Laughter Yoga

Active Wellness at St. Alban’s

Iona’s Active Wellness program at St. Alban’s includes a morning fitness program, a nourishing lunch, health promotion educational programs, computer classes and much more. The program offers a chance for social interaction, exercise classes (11:00 am on Mondays and Thursdays) and seated yoga (11:00 am on Tuesdays and Fridays). Movies are scheduled at 12:45 pm following lunch on Fridays. The program is open to active retirees age 60 and older.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

To make a reservation, call (202) 895-9448.

Thelma Hines, Manager
3001 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (grounds of the National Cathedral)
Washington, DC 20008

Please click here to view our latest calendar.

 

Currently at The Gallery at Iona

Come visit The Gallery at Iona featuring highly talented local senior artists!  Our current show  is open Monday- Friday 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM January 19 - May 7 2012

 Featuring Artist in Residence George Smith-Shomari and Special Guest Artists Varda Avnisan and Jill Tanenbaum

Mickey Klein’s charming watercolors and photographs take you to a variety of places, which she wonderfully captures through the brush and lens, expressing her love of travel and art. Her interest in paintings began at a young age, and continued when she met her late architect husband, Norman Klein, with whom she shared painting dates. Throughout Mickey’s various accomplishments, which include teaching literature at DC’s Western High School, co-authoring a book, and an ambitious career at the US Transportation Department, Mickey has not forgotten her passion for watercolor and photography. She has exhibited her work at the Cosmos Club, the Georgetown Library, the Washington Studio School, the Artists Museum, and the Cathedral Towers’ art group shows. Along with her art, Mickey enjoys teaching literature at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, traveling, and playing tennis.

Susana Garten, a truly unique and talented enamellist, creates vessels, wall pieces, and sculptural objects through basse-taille, firescale, and precious foil enamel techniques, She shared her love of enameling, as a teacher at Glen Echo Park, as well as leading enameling workshops for several enamel guilds. Susana has won numerous awards for her work, which is inspired by nature, current events, and life experiences. She was a longtime member of the co-op Enamelists Gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, and is currently affiliated with The Enamelist Society, National Enamelist Guild, Enamel Guild/North East, Northern California Enamel Guild, Washington Guild of Goldsmiths, and Maryland Federation of Art, Northern California Enamel Guild, Washington Guild of Goldsmiths, and Maryland Federation of Art. Susana’s outstanding use of texture, color, and pattern, enable her to create art that speaks to people’s, hearts and minds.

The Gallery at Iona-Permanent Collection

In 1995, two Iona friends, Mary Hewes and Gay Patterson Lord, collaborated with staff and Iona's Board of Directors to help determine a way to get quality visual arts into the Center. In 1998, Iona sponsored its first Art Gallery Exhibition in cooperation with several prominent galleries. The permanent collection consists of sixty plus works donated by friends of Iona, former Artists in Residence, who have had shows at Iona, and participants of Iona's Wellness and Arts Center.

Click here to view our Permanent Collection at The Gallery at Iona and find out more about us!

The Artist in Residence Program

Our Artist in Residence Program honors the creativity of persons sixty plus years young through exhibitions of work in the Gallery at Iona. Additionally, each artist participates in the Iona Senior Services network in many ways, such as facilitating several workshops, including at our Wellness and Arts Center. The Artist in Residence Program promotes mental and physical well being through an exposure to the arts.

Past Artists in Residence

 

May 2011-August 2011

Bernard Brooks

Mixed Media Artist/Watercolorist and Painter

 

 

 

May 2011- August 2011, Gwen Aqui, Mixed Media Artist/Painter

January 2011-April 2011, Liz Wolf, Printmaker, http://www.lizwolfgraphics.com 

September 2010 - January 2011,  Lee Goodwin, Fine Art Photographer, http://lgoodwin.smugmug.com

 

 

 

May 2010 - August 2010, Melanie Grishman, Textile Artist, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , http://artsitesjudaica.org/artistgrishman.html 

January 2010 - April 2010, Rose Mosner, Mixed Media Artist, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

October 2009 - January 2010, Grace Lebow, Watercolorist, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . https://picasaweb.google.com/110359835374010217163/MyArtwork?feat=directlink

April 2009 - August 2009, Pauline Jakobsberg, Printmaker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

January 2009 - April 2009, Cynthia Farrell Johnson, Painter and Graphic Artist,  http://www.cfjfinearts.com.

September 2008 - December 2008, Mike Shaffer, Conceptual Artist, Painter and Sculptor, http://mikeshaffer.net.

 

April 2008 - August 2008, Dot Procter, Painter, http://dotprocter.com/.

 

Past Special Guest Artists

January 2011- April 2011 Herman Burger, Sculptor

September 2010 - January 2011, Marilee Harris Shapiro, Sculptor, http://www.galleryplanb.com/artists/marilee-shapiro/artist.html

May 2010 - August 2010, Chuck Baxter, Found Object Sculptor, http://www.midcityartists.com/artistdetails.asp?artist=ChuckBaxter

 

January 2010 - April 2010, Kathleen Williams, Sculptor

October 2009 - January 2010, Helen Grunstein, Sculptor, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Gallery at Iona is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm or by appointment.

4125 Albemarle St. NW
Washington, DC 20016

*Near the Tenleytown metro

For more information, please call 202-895-9448.

 

Fitness Classes

Laughter Yoga 

Tuesdays, 12:30-1:30 PM

Session One: January 17 - February 21, 2012

Session Two: February 28 - April 3, 2012

Fee: $60 for each six-week session; or $10 per class, rolling enrollment. 

Learn more about Iona's fitness classes.

Bridge Group

New members are welcome! Play bridge, meet new people and make new friends. The group plays rubbers rather than duplicate bridge and while instruction is not offered, tables are organized according to skill level. Meets every Monday (11:30 am – 4:00 pm). If Iona is closed on any given Monday, the group will meet on Tuesday.

Short Story Group

Weekly social group meets Fridays (10:30 am -11:30 am) at Friendship Terrace to read and discuss short stories.

Poetry Group

Weekly social group meets Wednesdays 2:00 pm at Friendship Terrace to read, discuss, and occasionally write poetry.

 

Flu Shots

Flu shot immunization clinics are offered at Iona every autumn. The flu shot is free to seniors with Medicare Part B. For seniors or caregivers without Part B coverage there is a nominal fee.