The Education Department of Nassau County Museum of Art has teamed with the Senior Service Center at Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center in East Hills in an innovative pilot study to determine how discussion of art works can benefit people with early stage memory loss. Called Conservation in the Galleries, the new program presents seniors with the opportunity to tour the museum’s exhibitions with museum educators and docents who discuss the works on view. The small groups of participants are encouraged to share their observations of the artworks.
Conversations in the Galleries at Nassau County Museum of Art: A Sid Jacobson Program for Adults with Memory Loss is modeled on Meet Me at MoMA, a nationwide outreach initiative led by New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. Laura Lynch, the museum’s director of education, said that Conversations in the Galleries seeks to use the best of the museum’s and the JCC’s resources to “provide inspiration for rich conversations among a community of active and curious adults.” Taylor Herbert, LMSW, the JCC’s director of specialized senior services, explained: “Research shows that art can bring pleasure to people with dementia. Since everyone views works of art differently, it creates interesting discussions and many different interpretations.”
Nassau County Museum of Art is located at One Museum Drive (just off Northern Boulevard, Route 25A) in Roslyn Harbor. Call (516) 484-9337 for current exhibitions, events, days/times, and directions. The museum is chartered and accredited under the laws of New York State as a not-for-profit private educational institution and museum. It is operated by a privately elected board of trustees responsible for its governance. The museum is funded through income derived from admissions, parking, membership, special events and private and corporate donations as well as federal and state grants.
For more information on memory loss programming at Sid Jacobson JCC, contact Taylor Herbert, LMSW at (516) 484-1545, ext. 114 or therbert@sjjcc.org.
