Retirement Models

                      Karen at the St. John's Art Show

Dear George,

Whenever I log onto the AARP website to play Spider Solitaire, I get a virtual ad from Wells Fargo inviting me to win $500 by describing a “second half champion”, i.e., somebody over 50 who has retired and whose life has taken on an entirely different purpose.  That’s an interesting task since it seems much easier to flounder around in retirement than to develop a coherent life direction. I haven’t responded to Wells Fargo’s invitation, thinking it some sort of marketing gimmick.  If I were to though, I would have to nominate our friends Karen and Bill Feinberg as “co-champions”.  Both have retired in the 7 or 8 years and begun new careers as professional artists.

                                     Mountain View

This is fresh on my mind because we recently went to an art opening at St. John’s Unitarian Church in Clifton where Karen was showing recent drawings and 3-D mobiles.  Karen completed her doctorate in Classics after they came to Cincinnati in the late 1960s, and she taught Latin in a college-level seminary.  Then she started her own professional editing business, which included working for several of the major academic Sociology journals.  She’s been involved in art throughout her adult life, but became seriously engaged as retirement approached.  She studied formally at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, as well as with mentors in this area and on the West Coast.  We own one of her works which graces the entryway to our house.  The drawing above is a good example of Karen’s work, and you can see the strong Asian influence on her style. 

                                  Bill at St. John's

Bill has done wood-carving as a hobby as long as I’ve known him.  As he developed retirement plans, he decided to devote himself to professional sculpting, and he began studying with Walter Driesbach and Chris Daniel at the Art Academy.  After 35 years as a sociologist at UC, Bill took early retirement in 2001, and he’s been thoroughly happy with his decision (as well as enjoying much improved blood pressure).  He has a sculpting space at Essex Studios in Walnut Hills, and he works in a variety of media -- wood, stone, steel, and plaster.  Bill brings a sociological perspective to his choice of projects, and his wry sense of humor shows through in many of his pieces, as in his homage to Magritte below.  You can view more of his and Karen’s work on their web-site, www.feinberg-art.com. 

                            Homage to Magritte

In my view, Bill and Karen have mastered the challenges of retirement.  They’ve expanded upon activities they’ve always loved and have become members of new art worlds in the process.  In effect, they haven’t really “retired”, but rather have moved on from their former work lives to new careers.  Bill counseled me to work out goals and plans long before I was close to a retirement decision.  I haven’t managed to be as systematic about this as he and Karen have been, but they are definitely my role models for how to succeed in managing this major life transition.

 

Love,

Dave