2013 Fall Webinar Series:
Designing and Facilitating Art-making Experiences for People with Dementia Presented by Meryl Schwartz
The Global Alliance is grateful to the National Endowment of the Arts for its support of this webinar series, which strives to provide affordable resources to individuals and organizations wishing to establish or advance arts and health programming.
Designing and Facilitating Art-making Experiences
for People with Dementia
Meryl Schwartz
The MoMA Alzheimer’s Project
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
The MoMA Alzheimer's Project: Making Art Accessible to People with Dementia is made possible by .
Express ideas and talents
Experience tactile and intellectual
stimulation
Create an original object
Reflect on their creation in context
Explore and exchange socially
Transcend social roles
Participate in a meaningful activity
Dementia is a series of
brain disorders
Alzheimer’s disease is the
most common form of
dementia
Medical professionals
Hospitals or care facilities
Alzheimer’s Association
National Institute on Aging’s
ADEAR Center
Memory loss
Language difficulties
Difficulty with visuospatial
functioning
Apathy
Lack of inhibition
Components of an Art-making
Project
Artworks for inspiration and inquiry-
based discussion
Materials + Action + Topic
Specific instructions or prompts
Space for free interpretation of
instructions
Sharing of works created
Components of an Art-making
Project
Artworks for inspiration and inquiry-
based discussion
Materials + Action + Topic
Specific instructions or prompts
Space for free interpretation of
instructions
Sharing of works created
Components of an Art-making
Project
Artworks for inspiration and inquiry-
based discussion
Materials + Action + Topic
Specific instructions or prompts
Space for free interpretation of
instructions
Sharing of works created
ACTION TOPIC
MATERIALS
MATERIALS
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Choose materials that are:
Age-appropriate
Physically accessible
ACTION
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Choose an action that:
Every participant can physically
perform
You can easily describe and
demonstrate
TOPIC
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
Choose a topic that:
Provides focus
Allows for multiple
interpretations
Is relevant, accessible, and
interesting
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
ACTION
Assemblage
MATERIALS
Objects
Identity
TOPIC
MATERIALS
Ink
ACTION
Spread
TOPIC
Line
MATERIALS
Wire
ACTION
Draw
TOPIC
Figure
MATERIALS ACTION
TOPIC
Paper Collage
Portraiture
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
Design projects that are:
Geared toward a variety of artistic,
physical, and cognitive abilities
Feasible in the time allotted
Conducive to both independent and
collaborative work
Manageable with the staff you have
available
Interesting to you as the educator
Components of an Art-making
Project
Artworks for inspiration and inquiry-
based discussion
Materials + Action + Topic
Specific instructions or prompts
Space for free interpretation of
instructions
Sharing of works created
Components of an Art-making
Project
Artworks for inspiration and inquiry-
based discussion
Materials + Action + Topic
Specific instructions or prompts
Space for free interpretation of
instructions
Sharing of works created
Choose artworks that:
Employ the same components
as your project
Show variety in their approach
to those components
Exhibit a range of complexity
MATERIALS ACTION TOPIC
Draw
Build
Paint
Sculpt
Carve
Photograph
Assemble
Collage
Tear
Bend
Press
Mark
Perform
Spread
Paper
Paint
Clay
Objects
Wire
Wood
Ink
Pastel
Pencil
Charcoal
Camera
Wax
Fabric
The body
Light
Portraiture
Landscape
Still life
Figure
Line
Color
Texture
Identity
Politics
Narrative
Movement
Language
Chance
Home
Gesture
Prompt exploration of
approach to materials, action,
and topic in each artwork
Link artists’ decisions to your
project
Prepare and ask questions
about the artworks that:
Components of an Art-making
Project
Artworks for inspiration and inquiry-
based discussion
Materials + Action + Topic
Specific instructions or prompts
Space for free interpretation of
instructions
Sharing of works created
Clearly explain all the materials
Demonstrate various techniques or start
a work in front of the group
Show participants an example project
Provide concise and concrete prompts
Break up planning process and ask
participants share with each other as
they plan
Reiterate prompts individually
Get a sense of each participant’s
direction
Components of an Art-making
Project
Artworks for inspiration and inquiry-
based discussion
Materials + Action + Topic
Specific instructions or prompts
Space for free interpretation of
instructions
Sharing of works created
Observe participants as they work
Assist when necessary
Ask about decisions and provide
specific feedback
Make suggestions and encourage
experimentation
Demonstrate suggested techniques
Reintroduce artworks from discussion
Share works in progress
Components of an Art-making
Project
Artworks for inspiration and inquiry-
based discussion
Materials + Action + Topic
Specific instructions or prompts
Space for free interpretation of
instructions
Sharing of works created
Invite participants to share
Ask participants to speak to
their process and choices
Validate with specificity
Ask for the work’s title
Draw comparisons between
participants’ works
What’s different about working
with people with dementia?
Reiteration of theme/task
Direct instruction and encouragement
Specific demonstration
Loose interpretation of the theme
Collaborative projects
Wide range of cognitive abilities,
experience with art, and interest level
within the same group
Tips for Facilitation
Animate the experience
Personalize the experience
Manage expectations
Address participants by name and make eye
contact
Repeat
Invest in each participant’s process
Encourage experimentation
Focus on process as well as product
Encourage group exchange
Maintain lightness and humor
Challenging Scenarios
A participant is slow to get started
A participant has difficulty physically
handling the materials
A participant creates something that
doesn’t fall within the project
framework
Participants finish at different times
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.MoMA.org/MeetMe
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