For
the past few years, the staff at Beulah have been facilitating an art program
developed by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Originally an
onsite program designed for people with dementia and their caregivers to enjoy
together at the MoMA, Meet Me: Making Art Accessible to People with Dementia, has been extended to twelve online modules that can be facilitated by any interested seniors organization. Each module is developed
around a theme and contains the instructions, images and information required
to facilitate one discussion session and one art-making session using different
media ranging from watercolour paints to clay.
To
prepare for the discussion sessions, staff review the chosen module, do a bit
of research to supplement the information provided about the piece and/or
artist and print a few copies of the art images to pass around during the
discussion. To faciliate the discussion, we use a laptop, projector and screen
to present the images and discuss the questions and topics provided with each module.
We’ve found these art programs to be informative and accessible for our clients
and staff; the information provided is not difficult to present or understand
and we’ve had many engaging conversations about different art pieces that have
sparked interest in participants. So far,
our favourite modules have been Family
Pictures and Music and Art. To
prepare for the art making sessions, we review the activity and gather the
materials listed in the module instrutions. Sometimes we modify the activity to
reflect the interests and abilities of our participants.
Developing unique programs that are meaningful for a wide range of people
can be challenging. That’s why we were so happy to find an art program that has
already been developed, but which can also be modified to reflect the interests
and abilities of our clients. This program can also be facilitated by family
members or paid caregivers in the home using a laptop or an ipad and there are
also instructions for developing your own modules, based on the interests of the
user. For more information, see the MoMA website for information on how
you can facilitate this program.