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

Print

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

Print

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

Print

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

Print

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

Print

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

Print

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

Print

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

Print

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

Print

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

Print

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: meryl_schwartz@MoMA.org

Website: www.MoMA.org/MeetMe