Meet Me at the MAG

It often occurs without words. It could be a smile or a laugh or a small gesture, but those who attend monthly outings to the Memorial Art Gallery find a way to connect with the art. They are all people who are living with Alzheimer's or dementia, and sometimes language can be a challenge to come up with.
The purpose of a program like "Meet Me at the MAG" is to invite them to engage with the art in their own way, whether they can have a conversation about what they're seeing or not.
The program was started in 2009 by Susan Dodge-Peters Daiss, Senior Associate in the Division of Medical Humanities and Bioethics at the Memorial Art Gallery and University of Rochester Medical Center. With a background in both medicine and art, she wanted to find a way to use art as an outreach tool to those with memory impairment.
Since Alzheimer's not only affects a person's memory, but often their capacity for language as well, docents are trained to approach the art in a way that is relatable on a more personal level than might occur in an art history lecture. The painting might be a reminder of an event in their own life such as a wedding, or person they know well, such as a son or daughter. It might evoke sounds or smells that they've experienced before. In addition to talking about the paintings, they pass around fabric and other materials, similar to those found in a painting to offer a tactile way of connecting to the art.
Art becomes a more complete sensory experience beyond just the visual exploration and it's an experience they take with them when they leave. It can often be a way of opening them up to their spouse or care taker and create a new experience they can share. It may be an opportunity to step outside their normal routine. It may help them to reconnect with a part of their past that they had been unable to recall.
Whatever the experience of the individual, it has become personally rewarding for Daiss, to see a person open up in a meaningful way. While the specific paintings may not remain with them when they leave the museum, the connections they make impact them in a way that lasts well beyond the hour they spend there.