For the first half of 2019, the elders at Rochdale Village Senior Center in Jamaica, Queens, attended the Make & Play Shekere Workshop taught by CTMD Touring Artist Cheryl Thomas.
Cheryl Thomas, “The Gourd Lady”, is an educator, performer and Shekere maker with over 35 years of experience leading Shekere workshops in schools and senior centers across New York City. She is a founding member of Women of the Calabash and member of the New York State Gourd Society.
Make & Play Shekere Workshop was a part of CTMD’s Su-CASA program Reclaiming Heritage: Traditional Arts Workshops for Older Adults and supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, NYC Council member Adrienne Adams and The New York City Department for the Aging.