“Meeting of the Minds”

(Reprinted from “Living Well,” a Los Angeles Times advertising supplement) 
By Barbara Beckley
April 10,2007                        
   

A Salon in Bel-Air takes up the grand tradition of women assembling for intellectual stimulation.

I'd read about them. The glorious 18th and early 19th century salons hosted by French women of means, who invited favored guests and renowned experts into their opulent private rooms (i.e. "salons"), for enlightened conversation.

But I had no idea they existed today. Until, that is, I walked up a wide, split-level stone path to a pair of elegant double doors that gave me entrée into one of Los Angeles' longest-running salons for women. Against the backdrop of this spacious, elegant home, I experienced a truly energizing and eye-opening evening. It was informative, sophisticated and lots of fun!

"It's such a joy to bring women together and see what happens!" said Barbara Goldberg, who founded Salon Forum 14 years ago, as she welcomed me into her home at a recent gathering. "It gives me an incredible high to see everyone actively engaged in animated conversation, learning from one another and from the speaker."

Though there are no age parameters, most women who attend Salon Forum are 45 and older, Goldberg noted. "When women are along in life, a salon is a wonderful way to meet new people — it makes life richer in a meaningful way."

Powerful concept

Audrey Stein, 71, of West L.A., who's been attending Salon Forum for seven years, agreed. "It's exciting at this stage of our lives to meet new people and develop new friendships," said the retired director of the Wellness Community-West Los Angeles and founding associate director of the UCLA Center on Aging.

"I love the whole gestalt of the salon; of getting together with interesting and interested women," she added. "While we look forward to the speaker, Barbara has to pull us away from our conversations to adjourn to the living room for the program."

Marilyn Jellison, 62, of Pasadena, echoed Stein's sentiments. "The salon concept is so powerful. It's rare to find a setting that is intellectually stimulating and filled with such bright people with wide-ranging interests. The fact that it's all women is an extra bonus," the recently retired healthcare executive added.

The value of females gathering for purposes of intellectual stimulation in an intimate setting has been recognized throughout history. When Socrates was holding his conversations under trees and at dinner parties with the males of Athens, As-pasia, the mistress of an Athenian statesman, gathered her own groups of educated women in conversation. The practice was later picked up during the Renaissance in Germany, Italy and Holland, according to Gary Kamiya, a weekly columnist and the former executive editor of Salon.com.

But the golden age of salons, he wrote in a story on the website, was a "two-century flowering of female-led discourse" led by middle-aged French society women from their bedrooms "that not only represents the epitome of French style, but helped to create an ideal of civilized behavior that still stands."

Not only new friendships, but also new business opportunities flourish among the modern attendees at Gold-berg's salons. She recalled one woman who went from small-time caterer to major event planner through a Salon Forum contact.

Like the grand salons of Europe, Salon Forum is always held in a private residence — Goldberg's Bel-Air home, but takes place in her public rooms — the kitchen, dining and living rooms. "A home provides warmth, comfort and relaxation," Goldberg said. She enhances this feeling by serving wine, soft drinks, coffee, tea and a sumptuous buffet of hot and cold dishes and decadent desserts.

For me, the buffet alone was enough to spark animated conversation. Plate in hand, I instantly began meeting wonderful women among the 40 or so at a recent salon: a Broadway producer from New York, who was in town for meetings; several women from Pasadena ("I'm from Pasadena, too," I chimed in); a fellow journalist, 68-year-old Joy Nuell of West Hollywood; Laura Feit, 61, a West Los Angeles nurse who's been attending since 1993; and first-timer Lina Sanossian from Sherman Oaks.

It's not just animated conversation that accounts for the longevity of this salon. Goldberg always has a speaker — and not just any speaker. "Usually it's a woman, but not always, and many are nationally known. "I'm very particular about choosing a diversity of topics that are informative to women of a certain age," Goldberg said. "My guests always come away with some nugget of information they can use to improve their lives."

I had to agree. From the speaker, Santa Monica's Dr. Cynthia Watson, a preventative-medicine guru, I learned an important fact about vitamins that I later incorporated into my health regime.

"Life is about learning," Nuell, a former KFWB news radio reporter, told me, as we worked our way around the food-laden dining room table. "I love to learn —that's why I've attended Barbara's salons for years. Like me, Barbara has such diverse interests, and she is so good at attracting interesting people. I always know I'll enjoy the evening."

A learning experience

A recent standout salon for Nuell was a presentation by "Celebrating Women" author Paola Gianturco, an international photojournalist, who documented female artisans in 12 countries who are changing their cultures through indigenous crafts. Another memorable talk Nuell remembers from 2004 was on end-of-life issues by Barbara Carpenter, who has lectured at Stanford University.

Stein said she is a regular attendee because "I learn things I ordinarily might not look into, such as February's salon on ‘The Secret Language of Chinese Face Reading."

Jellison enjoys the subject diversity for two reasons. "The salon offers topics that expand the way you view the world, regardless of age. Plus, you don't see the same women at every salon. Different women come for different topics."

Just as the 17th century salons in France were a reaction to rigid court protocol, the recent resurgence of salons from New York to Pasadena is a reaction to our frenzied 21 st century lives, Goldberg said. "We're all so isolated. We work hard and then cocoon at home to rest; it's very difficult in L.A.'s urban sprawl to meet people, and I wanted to change that."

'Bringing women together'

Goldberg didn't realize she was creating a salon when she "had a vision of bringing women together" back in the early 1990s. "I was blessed with knowing women from many different walks of life, and I thought, ‘These women should know one another.' "

But how? "I wanted everyone to have a good time, but I also wanted them to experience personal growth," recalled Goldberg, who has had her own advertising research business since 1972. After careful thought, she devised the concept of gatherings in her home with a speaker. She named it Salon (people coming together in a home) Forum (a learning experience). In 1993, she opened her doors for the first time.

Through word-of-mouth, the Salon Forum mailing list has grown to include 200 women from throughout greater Los Angeles, and Goldberg looks forward to welcoming more invited guests. "Has your salon changed over time?" I asked. "In essence, no. The women feel so at home here, it's evolved into a community," she replied.

Her latest endeavor is to encourage women to form their own salons. The newest pages on the Salon Forum website, www.salonforum.org,explain why salons are a good thing for the salonnière — "I feel I'm making a difference in women's lives" — and tips on how to start a salon.

"Will you attend future salons?" I asked newcomer Sanossian, as we poured our last cups of coffee from an urn on a sideboard.

"Absolutely!" the 55-year-old medical executive enthused. "I didn't know what to expect and was favorably surprised. I've met so many charming and accomplished women. The setting was beautiful, the food was excellent and the speaker was an eye-opener."

For more information on Salon Forum, call (310) 476-7318 or       visit www.salonforum.org

There is no membership fee, but the cost is $30 for each salon and advance reservations are required.

Freelance writer Barbara Beckley, is based in the Pasadena area and writes on travel and lifestyles.

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