Art often is as an activity for Alzheimer’s patients.  This might include acrylic or water color painting, shaping with clay, coloring with crayons or markers, quiltmaking, sketching, and mixed media.  It depends on the stage of the patient whether they can do much or even comprehend.

However, many patients in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s find enjoyment and relaxation in this form of creativity.   Many do amazingly well with assistance.

Are you preserving this art?

But it’s not good, you think.  It doesn’t have value.

However, it has memories and leaves a legacy.    My mother-in-law didn’t have Alzheimer’s but was nearly blind.  We didn’t realize until after her death how many water color paintings she had done during group activities at the assisted living home.  And how lovely they are.

One a grandson framed.  Another my daughter used as a design for a quilt hanging.  Others we’re copying so family members can have their own.  Also, we’re considering making notepaper and postcards of all of them. 

These will give her children, grandchildren, and great grands something of her artistic legacy.  Mum had never done any painting before.  So we’ve seen a facet of her through this that we wouldn’t have.

So…preserve the legacies that come as serendipities.

(Amazon image)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Preserving Alzheimer’s Patients’ Art

I had a lot of fun with last year’s fat book and charm bracelet swaps, even though they didn’t raise as much as I hoped they would for Alzheimer’s research. So, this year, I was thinking to do something a bit different. I want to create a zine (a type of magazine) called “A Portrait of Alzheimer’s” and am looking for people to make art that fits this theme to include in the zine. Since you can just take a good, high resolution photo for me instead of sending in original art, it should be less costly for everyone to do. Of course, all net proceeds from zine sales will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Foundation at Alz.org.

Please comment here if you have questions or have a piece you want to submit or email your submission or questions to me at katelyn(at)b5media.com. The deadline for submissions to the zine is October 15th, 2008, so you have plenty of time to think about creating a piece.

(reprinted with permission from Stamping Mad)

Post from: Blisstree

Stamping Mad’s Looking for Alzheimer’s Art.

Contribute your Alzheimer’s related art for a zine to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research.  Katelyn at Stamping Mad is initiating this project, Giving Back – A Call for Alzheimer’s Related Art, at her blog.

I was thinking to do something a bit different [from last year]. I want to create a zine (a type of magazine) called “A Portrait of Alzheimer’s” and am looking for people to make art that fits this theme to include in the zine. Since you can just take a good, high resolution photo for me instead of sending in original art, it should be less costly for everyone to do. Of course, all net proceeds from zine sales will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Foundation at Alz.org.

Check out the link above and read all the details at Stamping Mad.

(Incidentally, the full title of the book pictured above is: When Words Have Lost Their Meaning: Alzheimer’s Patients Communicate Through Art.)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Contribute Art for Alzheimer’s Research