Methow Creative Aging Volunteer Training - No Art Experience Necessary!
Methow Creative Aging is a Dementia-Friendly Arts Engagement Program -
Volunteers participating in this free, three hour training will learn to lead four art activities while employing methods to promote a joyful experience for care partners and people living with dementia or other challenges. We will go over the nuts and bolts of setting up a comfortable working space, putting together an art kit, facilitating the activities, adaptive assistance techniques, communication, and methods for ensuring success.
The Methow Creative Aging volunteer trainings will lead to opportunities to bring hands-on arts expression into Jamie’s Place adult residence, at Memory Care Café events, and with additional training, into individual homes for people living with dementia and their care partners.
Register HERE
Why Arts-based Dementia Care? There is much research that points to the act of making art in helping a person to process anxiety, anger, grief and loss as increased memory loss, confusion, and physical limitations progress with dementia. Our program trains the care partner or volunteer to work with the individual experiencing dementia, building a relationship, and customizing artmaking sessions to meet the individual’s specific needs, interests, and changing abilities as the disease progresses.
Methow Creative Aging is a multi-faceted program designed to bring hands-on creative expression to both in-home and group care settings, using the senses to stimulate meaning and purpose, self-awareness, and empowerment through the arts. The program also offers a schedule of Methow Memory Cafés at The Confluence Art gallery that present hands-on artmaking along with music, art discussions, and other creative and cultural social experiences in a sensory sensitive environment. These free, community-based arts programs for persons living with dementia and their care partners hold tremendous potential for reducing isolation, increasing cognitive, social, and creative engagement while improving overall quality of life.
About your instructor:
Methow Creative Aging is led by local artist Janet Fagan. With degrees from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, The University of PA, and the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, Janet brings her years of experience practicing art and working as a teaching artist with the Creative Aging team at the Frye Art Museum to Methow at Home. In addition to her work with adults living with dementia, Janet has a deep history in museum education, drawing, painting and printmaking instruction. Janet is a working artist living in Mazama and her work can be seen at the Winthrop Gallery and the Confluence in Twisp. Learn more about Janet and her artistic practice at JanetFagan.com
Methow At Home’s dementia education and care partner support programming and the Methow Creative Aging program are made possible with the support of Moccasin Lake Foundation and the Richard and Maude Ferry Charitable Foundation.