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‘HISTORY AND MYSTERY OF COLOR IN ART’ WILL BE THEME FOR WINTER TERM OF THE WINTER MASTER’S SERIES AT THE PASADENA SENIOR CENTER 

Artists have always used color to portray light, depth, and point of view in their art, and also to convey mood, symbolism and socio-political meanings within the context of the era they lived in. In “History and Mystery of Color in Art,” art historian Eleanor Schrader will focus on a different color each week and delve into how color is used by artists in the Pasadena Senior Center’s Winter Master’s Series, set for consecutive Tuesdays, Feb. 4 to Mar. 11 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. via Zoom at the Pasadena Senior Center.

During this course, Schrader will also cover histories of color, their meanings in different societies and cultural contexts, and materials and processes used to make pigments.

The cost for this six-week course of The Masters Series, which embraces lifelong learning, is only $80 for members of the Pasadena Senior Center and $95 for nonmembers. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link, and recordings of sessions are available to registered participants. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Lectures & Classes, then Master’s Series, or call 626-795-4331. NEW: Want to watch the program, but don’t want to fuss with Zoom?  Watch the Zoom program streamed live at PSC on a large flat-screen in a group setting. Requires program registration. For more information and to make a reservation for onsite viewing, contact the Welcome Desk.

Course instructor Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer and author. She lectures worldwide on the history of furniture, decorative arts, architecture, and interiors and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world.  She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College.

Lecture Topics:

• Feb. 4:  Red. From true love to hellfire, sanctity to violence, red has been used by artists since prehistoric days.
• Feb. 11:  Orange.  Inspired by orange trees brought from Asia to Europe by Portuguese merchants, the vibrancy of the color orange elicits feelings of warmth, excitement, and amusement.
• Feb. 18:  Yellow.  The dichotomy of the color yellow ranges from the warm happiness of sunshine to the dire warnings of wasps.  Many religions worship the sun, deeming yellow and gold eternal, imperishable and indestructible.
• Feb. 25:  Green.  From a symbol of rebirth and regeneration to the green-eyed monster of jealousy, the color green was a desirable color for artists to display a variety of emotions in their works.
• Mar. 4:  Blue.  The most popular of colors worldwide, blue is the symbol of the sky and the sea, nature’s promise of daily renewal.  Blue creates feelings of trust and loyalty and is often associated with wisdom.
• Mar. 11:  Purple.  Purple, the “royal color,” unites the power of red and the stability of blue.  Purple stimulates the imagination, creating fantasies and dreams, as magic is often portrayed in purple hues.

For 65 years, the Pasadena Senior Center’s mission has been to improve the lives of older adults through caring service with opportunities for social interaction, fitness programs, basic support and needs services, education, volunteerism and community activism. With 10,000 Americans per day becoming older adults, the center is a leader in addressing issues of aging and provides innovative, cutting-edge, nationally recognized programs for this population group.

As a donor-supported nonprofit, the center operates without any local, state or federal funding and provides more services to older adults than any other organization in the San Gabriel Valley. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. To learn more visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call 626-795-4331.