A Celebration of Creativity, featuring highlights of The Society for the Arts in Dementia Care's permanent art collection, July 4-27 at West Vancouver's Ferry Building Gallery. Opening reception: Friday, July 4, 6-8 p.m. A free presentation series is also being offered. ferrybuildinggallery.com
An exhibition opening Friday at West Vancouver's Ferry Building Gallery is turning an artistic eye to the topic of dementia.
A Celebration of Creativity features mixed media highlights from The Society for the Arts in Dementia Care's permanent art collection, created by older people and by people living with dementia, collected over time from around the world.
The exhibition was organized by Dalia Gottlieb-Tanaka, founder and chairwoman of the society, a partner with the gallery for the initiative. The Society for the Arts in Dementia Care hosts conferences on creative expression, communication and dementia, and workshops on creativity, aging, memory and health. The society also engages on an international level as part of its focus on improving the quality of life of older adults and seniors living with dementia, through the use of the visual and performing arts.
The exhibition marks the 10th anniversary of a show held at the Ferry Building in 2004, featuring artwork produced by seniors with dementia Gottlieb-Tanaka had worked with.
"We all know when we work with people with memory impairment and dementia there is a decline in abilities over time and sometimes. .. it's hard to communicate with them. So to see any artwork, expression on paper or singing or moving in a dance, was fantastic. That meant to me the person is still capable and wants to stay in contact with others and express themselves," says Gottlieb-Tanaka, who splits her time between North Vancouver and Vernon.
The exhibition proved incredibly successful and the level of community interest was strong, seeing more than 4,000 visitors come over the show's three-week run.
"People were standing in line to enter on Canada Day 10 years ago," recalls Gottlieb-Tanaka.
"That was a big surprise to us. Only then I realized the magnitude of the concern and the interest that people have in this topic, which has to do with memory loss," she adds.
Coinciding with the upcoming exhibition is a presentation series, featuring lectures by professionals and practitioners in the field of the arts and dementia care. The schedule is as follows:
July 4: Caroline Edasis, art therapist - Art Therapist as Change Agent within Dementia Care Communities; and Shelley Klammer, registered counsellor, expressive artist and therapeutic art facilitator - Looking Into the Creative Process of Artists with Dementia.
July 8: Dalia Gottlieb-Tanaka - Why Being Engaged in Creative Expression Activities is Important as We Age; and Nick Whittle, accountant - How to Support Creative Expression Programs in the Care Industry.
July 12: Jeanne Sommerfield, therapeutic recreation practitioner - Creative Moments in Everyday Relationships; and Michael Berg, activities director, teacher and actor - How to Fully Engage Dementia Residents Mentally and Physically in a One Hour a Day Program.
July 19: Paddy Bruce, art therapist - The Circle of Life and Making of the Dignity Quilt; and Sheila Jones, president of the International Wordsmiths Ltd. - The Gift of Now - This Fleeting Moment.
All presentations are being held at the gallery at 2 p.m. cecd-society.org
