Clark Launches Program For People With Dementia
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Meet Me at the Clark, a program for people with dementia and their caregivers, will be held at the Clark Art Institute on Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon on Dec. 1, Jan. 5, Feb. 2, and March 2, when the museum is closed to the general public.
The program provides a chance to engage with the Clark collection and participate in guided, themed conversations about art in a way that welcomes all contributions.
To register in pairs (persons with dementia with their caregivers or loved ones), call 413-458-0410. Registration is required for each program date.
“Engaging with art offers such a rich in-the-moment opportunity for meaningful experience,” said Ronna Tulgan Ostheimer, director of adult, school, and community programs at the Clark. “There are no ‘wrongs or rights’ in the conversation. The program really provides a tremendous relief and is so satisfying for everybody involved — including the educators.”
A pilot program initiated last fall met with “an overwhelming response from the community,” Tulgan Ostheimer said.
“We knew we were filling a niche, and we’re so excited to get the program in full gear,” she said.
The Clark based the program on a similar one at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2006.
Tags: Clark Art,
