Shared Doings and Sayings is a project organized by University of Virginia alumna, Lauren Catlett, in which she designed a series of art and conversation sessions with residents of the memory care centers at four Charlottesville retirement communities: The Colonnades, Morningside, Our Lady of Peace, and Rosewood Village. Supported by a grant from the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, the project encouraged participation through speaking, drawing, painting, or simply looking and listening within the familiar environment of each community. To facilitate conversation and opportunities for personal engagement, Catlett brought art supplies as well as various multi-sensory prompts such as poems, photographs, fruits, and flowers, which were often inspired or suggested by the previous week's session. She also invited family members, staff, and others to join in the collaboration. Shared Doings and Sayings aims to open pathways to communication and establish connections through shared experiences for persons with dementia, their families, and caregivers. It also seeks to raise awareness of dementia in the larger community by affording viewers a way of engaging in the world of persons with dementia. Artwork and conversations from each memory care community are featured in the book, Shared Doings and Sayings, which documents the project.

For more information about the project or the book, please contact Lauren >

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