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Week of February 22 - February 28, 2009

George Bellows, Dempsey and Firpo (1924), Whitney Museum of American Art

FORT WORTH, TEXAS-- The minute he walked into the Amon Carter Museum gallery, Bill Smith recognized the lithograph hanging directly in front of him.

"That one's called Stag at Sharkey's," he said with confidence as he pointed to the image of a boxer knocking his opponent out of the ring.

The retired Texas Christian University chemistry professor had the right artist, George Bellows, but the wrong lithograph. The one hanging in the Amon, called Dempsey and Firpo, is very similar to the one that Smith remembered.

But more importantly, the art kindled something inside him, jostling Smith out of the fog of Alzheimer's disease.

He spent the next 10 minutes talking about everything from the rules of boxing to the laws of gravity.

When Stacy Fuller, the museum's head of education, developed the Sharing the Past Through Art program, she hoped to help people who have Alzheimer's disease connect with the artwork and ultimately their community.

"These are people who often don't communicate much at all, but when they come here, there's something about the experience that encourages them to share," she said. "Some truly open up when they come to this space."

The museum's program is one of a handful around the country that makes art accessible to people with Alzheimer's disease. Two years ago, the Museum of Modern Art in New York launched one of the first such projects in the country. It and others have revealed that despite short-term memory problems, people with Alzheimer's can do more than expected.

There are memories inside the person that are trying to find a way out, said Dr. Janice Knebl, who holds the Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physician Endowed Chair for Clinical Geriatrics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

"It's really all about the moment and bringing out of the person what still may be there," she said. "This program looks for those opportunities."

Second Thursday

On the second Thursday of each month, Fuller introduces the mostly white-haired group to a small sampling of art.

Some days it's Frederic Remington's American Western art. Other days, it's Georgia O'Keeffe's abstract images. By limiting the number of paintings participants view, Fuller is able to engage them in a lively conversation.

"They see things we often don't take time to see or we just haven't observed," she said. "They really surprise me by the depth of their observations."

When residents from the James L. West Alzheimer Center toured the Bellows exhibit Thursday, Fuller asked them about the colors he used in his lithographs.

The group responded enthusiastically, lecturing Fuller about the absence of color in the black and white lithograph.

Then retired principal Loraine McMillon revealed what the lithograph meant to her.

"Total action," she said. "You can almost hear him fall with a great big thump."

Smith immediately joined in with his opinion: "The crowd is going wild."

'A comfort level'

The group circled around two lithographs: one a family portrait, the other of the same people riding in a vehicle.

"Must be a Model-T Ford," Ross Daniel said.

Then someone noticed a tail in the corner of the lithograph.

"Is that a horse?" he asked.

Another person thought the man looked like Winston Churchill.

Fuller explained that Bellows' lithograph of a horse-drawn surrey was a scene from New York City life.

She barely got out the explanation when everyone's attention turned to a nearby image of Christ on a cross.

"That didn't occur in New York City," Daniel said matter of factly.

Fuller welcomed the frank discussion.

"They're not afraid to say anything," she said. "I think the program gives them a comfort level so they can express themselves."

Memories

Participants enjoy the stimulating environment and being asked questions, said Theresa Hocker, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association, North Central Texas chapter.

"It makes them feel important," she said.

Seeing the art also gives them the chance to reminisce, said Gail Phills, a caseworker with the Alzheimer's Association.

"A lot of them have lost their short-term memory, but they still are able to recall things that happened 30 years ago," she said.

This isn't a scientific study, but it is working, Fuller said. During a recent visit to the museum, McMillon asked her about the Bror Utter exhibit the group had seen.

"She was recalling watercolors from the spring," Fuller said. "That's a wonderful connection she is making with the art."

ART:
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MORE INFORMATION:

Sharing the Past

What: A free program that connects people with Alzheimer's disease and artwork.

Who: Anyone with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers can attend.

When: 10:30 a.m. on the second Thursday each month.

Where: Amon Carter Museum, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd.

Information: Reservations are encouraged but not required. Call the museum at 817-738-1933.

ARTICLE SOURCES:

By Jan Jarvis, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Reprint Courtesy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Reviewed by Dr. Boaz Ancselovic, MD, Geriatrician, Alzheimer's Weekly
Edited by Peter Berger, Alzheimer's Weekly
©Copyright (c) 2008, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas