News » Press Releases
Arts Council Partners with Alzheimer's Association For “Memories in the Making”
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Springfield Regional Arts Council will be offering an art experience at the Creamery Arts Center for those dealing with short-term memory loss beginning May 19, 1pm to 3pm, and continuing on the fourth Monday of every month. The “Memories in the Making” classes, sponsored in large part by the Alzheimer¹s Association, are centered on the expression of creativity through the medium of painting. Pioneered in 1988 in Orange County, CA the program¹s designers sought to create a unique way for persons suffering from memory problems to record their feelings and to reminisce through art. In these classes, the participants are given a communication tool to use when their verbal skills and memories fail them. Last November, the Alzheimer's Association’s Southwest Missouri Chapter and local artist Susan Sommer-Luarca presented an art class for those with memory loss at the Chesterfield Family Center in Bolivar, Mo. Several paintings from the class were recently displayed in the Capitol rotunda in Jefferson City. No prior experience is required and class size is limited. To register or for more information, call the Alzheimer's Association, Southwest Chapter, 417-886-2199 or 1-800-272-3900.