Seen & Heard Celebrates Individuality Through Portraits and Stories

Seen & Heard Celebrates Individuality Through Portraits and Stories
Seeing the Person, Not the Age

On October 9, the Groveland Council on Aging is inviting the public to experience Seen & Heard, a portrait and storytelling project celebrating the individuality, experiences, perspectives, humor, and humanity of local older adults.
The project pairs portraits by photographer Kelly Mintz of Mintz Photo Studio with participants’ own words, giving each person an opportunity to share something about who they are, what they value, and the experiences that have shaped them.

The project invites viewers to look beyond age and encounter each participant as a whole person with experiences, relationships, interests, opinions, contributions, hopes, and stories that cannot be reduced to a number.

At its heart, Seen & Heard pushes back against a simple but persistent form of ageism: the tendency to see someone’s age before seeing the person.

“Age should never become shorthand for who we think someone is,” said Groveland COA Director Alyssa Lee. “We have a habit of learning someone’s age and thinking it tells us something important about them. It doesn’t. It doesn’t tell us what they care about, what makes them laugh, what they’ve lived through, what they’re curious about, or what they still want for their lives. Seen & Heard is about putting the person first and giving people the opportunity to show us who they are in their own words.”

All are invited to experience the project at a Seen & Heard Gallery Gathering on Friday, October 9, from 3:00–5:00 PM, in the Center Meeting Room at Groveland Town Hall, 183 Main Street.

The gathering is free and open to all, with guests welcome to drop in at any time to view the portraits and stories, meet project participants, and connect with neighbors and friends. Light refreshments will be served.

October 9 is also Ageism Awareness Day, a day dedicated to calling attention to age-based stereotypes and assumptions and encouraging people to think differently about how aging and older adults are represented.

The Groveland Council on Aging welcomes people of all ages to experience Seen & Heard and reflect on the importance of seeing and valuing people for who they are throughout their lives.

For more information, contact the Groveland Council on Aging at COA@GrovelandMA.com or 978-372-1101.

PHOTO INFORMATION
Group photo: Seen & Heard participants, from left, Ruth Dergarabedian, Lee Thomas, and Surya Sarkhel.
Photo credit for image: Kelly Mintz, Mintz Photo Studio.