Art Heals: Empowering Practitioners to Lead was a day-long symposium dedicated to exploring the transformative possibilities of arts programs for the aging population, including adults with memory loss and their caregivers.
On Thursday, April 9th, professionals from the Zimmerli Art Museum in collaboration with The Arts Institute of Middlesex County, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA, NYC), the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon (JSMA), and the Arts in Health Initiative at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, presented a national model for framework and case studies examining programmatic pathways and outcomes of incorporating art into memory care and wellness.
The morning began with a sound bath led by Sarah Yeung, founder of SKY Sound Yoga, which brought about stillness, clarity, and calm. Lisa Alba-Smith’s presentations were followed by Sarah’s immersive performance. Lisa Alba-Smith, Dr. Elizabeth Lahti, and Rosemarie Oakman of JSMA presented results from a year-long study focused on the effects of art on cognition and energy levels, and on how art enables “self-discovery” and “rediscovery.” According to JSMA, patients reported a new sense of purpose and community, as well as increased confidence, after creative exercises. Dr. Robert Kaita, representative of the Middlesex County grantee organization, Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra, noted his connection with the keynote material: “I also liked the analogy of how memories are like books in a ‘ flexible’ (hippocampus) bookcase, while our emotions are like those in a more ‘rigid’ (amygdala) bookcase. It’s gratifying that even without any lasting memory of our performances, those with dementia can still feel the joy we want them to experience.”
Within Middlesex County, there has been an expressed need to develop shared language, tools, and resources around the Arts and Health work that many have been doing in silos for decades. This Symposium was developed to bridge the gap in communication, awareness, and opportunities for new strategies and partnerships across fields in this region. While Arts and Health is a broad umbrella phrase, this event drilled down into a national model for arts and health engagement to support creative aging, memory loss, and dementia. From the medical and arts professions, organizations and individuals came together to share their arts and health work, learn from one another, and explore ways to engage audiences and patients who may experience health issues and barriers to access.
County Commissioner Charles Kenny, Chair of the County’s Transportation Committee, also attended the event, adding, “The importance of the arts in healthcare is undeniable, but so much of the great work that is happening is being done in isolation. This symposium is a chance for the arts and healthcare communities to form connections, establish a common language, learn from each other, and begin to work together,” he said during his remarks.
“The keynote speakers encouraged us to go beyond seeing museumgoers as passive viewers of art. We can do this by communicating through explanation, conversation, and even tactile experiences. This is true for any audience as well as those with dementia.”
– Dr. Robert Kaita, Physicist at Princeton University
After a day of interactive exercises and lectures, guests from the Arts and Health Symposium were escorted to the Zimmerli Art Museum for hands-on training within the museum’s collection. Transportation was provided by RIDE, Middlesex County’s transportation service.
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