NYC Gazette

Kimmel Windows, NYU’s outdoor public art gallery along LaGuardia Place and West 3rd Street, will present "What About Age? An Exhibition on the Impact of Ageism in Contemporary Society" from October 1, 2024, to March 18, 2025. The exhibition features artwork by New York-based writer and illustrator Aubrey Hirsch.

The exhibition will fill thirteen exterior windows with scenarios involving ageism, defined as discrimination against people because of their age. It examines structural aspects of ageism, including how American laws, policies, and culture perpetuate it. The healthcare costs associated with ageism and the media's role in shaping attitudes toward age are also explored. A central question posed is why society focuses more on what is lost with age rather than what is gained.

Stacey Gordon curated the exhibition. She is the program director of Next Phase Adult Caregiving and Retirement in the Office of Work Life at NYU. Gordon has a background in social work and gerontology; her doctoral research focused on structural ageism and family dynamics.

“We wanted to create a movement to engage and educate the public and promote behavioral change, and the Kimmel Windows is a great venue for developing awareness,” says Gordon. “We want to raise the consciousness of our students, faculty, employees, and community.”

Gordon's clinical work and research have revealed subtle messages that older people receive from family members, healthcare providers, and others.

“The literature on ageism reveals serious psychological and physiological consequences,” she says. “There are other ‘isms’ we pay attention to like sexism and racism. Few people are paying attention to ageism but it’s baked into many levels of our society.”

While the exhibition depicts scenes of ageism targeting young people, it primarily focuses on older individuals due to more severe negative effects on this population.

"What About Age?" is free to view around the clock seven days a week. Pamela Jean Tinnen designed the exhibition while Annie Levy served as a consultant. The project is part of NYU’s Office of Work Life which supports individual and organizational well-being.

An opening reception will be held on October 1 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Skirball Center for the Arts at 566 LaGuardia Place. A panel discussion featuring Gordon, Hirsch, author Becca Levy, and NYU Silver School of Social Work faculty member Ernest Gonzales will take place on October 9 at 3:00 p.m.

Kimmel Windows was founded in 2003 and operates under NYU’s Art in Public Places initiative managed by the Provost’s office. Located one block south of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, it provides space for public exhibits curated by NYU graduate students, faculty departments, programs representing scholarly discourse at New York University.