The Geezer Gallery Vision
We envision a future where seniors redefine themselves as valuable contributors;
a time when seniors view themselves as vital role models, worthy of acceptance and purpose.
We envision a future where physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health and vitality are achieved through creative artistic expression;
where seniors are celebrated for their unique life experiences, contributions, and wisdom.
We imagine a future where the life stories of the older generation brings insight, epiphanies, laughter, joy, and healing to all generations.
We celebrate a future where attaining elderhood is viewed as a process of positive changes and a realm of new possibilities.
Mission Statement
We are a registered not-for-profit organization that will establish a facility that showcases talented senior artists as a means of partially supporting the development of local senior artistic talent, and the creation and implementation of programs of art and programs of art therapy aimed at the local senior community of the greater Portland area.
Why 'Geezer'?
Why Geezer? Why would a fine arts gallery choose a name that conjures images of a grumpy old guy sitting on the front porch hollering, "get off my lawn"? Why use a moniker that brings to mind other harsh "z" words like gizzard, lizard, buzzard...? Wouldn't it be better business - not to mention better manners - to choose a less offensive label than The Geezer Gallery?
Well, maybe. Besides being cleverly alliterative, Geezer Gallery is intended to be provocative. We want to provoke conversation and new ways of thinking about what it means to be an aging or "older" person in today's world. We encourage people of all ages to engage in a dialogue about what a "geezer" is or can be.
A geezer in the U. K. is just a guy, the kind of fellow you might choose as a friend. (Prince William has been described as a "fine geezer.") But in the U.S., geezer generally describes an old person - crotchety, slow-moving, and annoyingly no longer young. Male or female, "those old geezers" are perceived as a drain on society's resources, a group whose productive days are long past.
Rather than a term of derision, we seek to redefine geezer as a term of strength, empowerment, and perhaps even endearment. Instead of a pejorative, geezer can become a rallying cry for all of us, regardless of chronological age, to embrace the creative forces which reside within. Unleash the Geezer!
A Whole New Old
No, we don't sell antiques at The Geezer Gallery. "A Whole New Old" is about repurposing perceptions rather than possessions. In our youth-obsessed culture, the process of aging or "growing old" is viewed with disdain and resistance. At The Geezer Gallery we embrace aging as a natural part of the human life course, recognizing the qualities of wisdom and excellence in creative expression that result from the experience of accumulated years well lived. Welcome to The Geezer Gallery, where we hope that your perceptions about old will be transformed into something new.
For information regarding the Geezer Gallery, please write us at the address below or email geezergallery@yahoo.com
The Geezer Gallery P.O. Box 2 Marylhurst, OR 97036-0261
The Geezer Gallery is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Your tax-deductible donation made to support the Geezer Gallery is sincerely appreciated.
