artNOW! Living in the Present

This past winter, 12 Portlanders attended the Museum’s artNOW program designed for individuals living with dementia and their care-partners. On four consecutive afternoons, the group explored the idea of personal journeys through lively discussion of the art on view and created visual journals, along with recorded reflections from each pair. The journals depict each artist’s connection to the environment, cities, each other, and ultimately their idea of Home. The exhibition is an opportunity to connect to the Museum’s collection through the concept of Home, while learning more about the experience of living with dementia by engaging multiple senses.

The artNOW program was developed through a partnership with the Oregon Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, which has provided training to docents and staff, valuable guidance and expertise, and significant staff support to the program. Staff from the C. Rex and Ruth H. Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at OHSU and the Companion Art Studio were meaningful consultants on the project.