“Meet Me Upstairs” program to focus on making art accessible to those with memory challenges

Engagement with art has proven to be beneficial for people with memory issues as well as benefits for their caregivers, family, and friends. This is true whether the experience involves looking at, learning about, discussing, or creating art.

Recognizing that this type of beneficial interaction could be a real asset to the Foothills region, Upstairs Artspace in Tryon, N.C. is collaborating with Foothills Memory Café on a program that would connect this population with contemporary art, called “Meet Me Upstairs: Memory Through Art.”

Modeled after The Museum of Modern Art’s award-winning “Meet Me at MOMA” program, whose goal is to enrich and improve the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers by directed looking at art, Upstairs Artspace will host five, free, 30-minute programs with a facilitator for anyone experiencing memory challenges, forgetfulness, or changes in thinking, plus their caregivers. The programs are coordinated with each exhibit on display throughout the year at the gallery, located at 49 S. Trade St., Tryon.

The first program will be held April 8 at 2 p.m. and attendees will engage with the works of narrative figure painter Virginia Derryberry. The following program on May 20 at 2 p.m. will focus on the textile work of Erika Diamond.

“A guided conversation in front of a work of art can be a powerful tool for stirring up old memories and introducing new ones,” says Sarah Schroth, co-chair of the Upstairs Artspace Exhibitions Committee, and former director of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. “Engagement with art can offer people the chance to explore and exchange ideas about art and artists, experience intellectual stimulation, make personal connections with the world at large, and participate in a meaningful activity that fosters personal growth.”

The Foothills Memory Café is a supplement program of the Equine Assisted Senior Engagement (EASE) program in Tryon. Jessica Pierce, founder and executive director, says that this collaborative program is an exciting and research-supported endeavor that matches the needs of the Foothills population.

“In addition to the program’s many benefits, caregivers also gain from art experiences by exploring their own interests in art while the person in their care is present, safe, and engaged. They can interact socially with other caregivers, share stories, and learn in a supportive environment where they are relaxed both physically and mentally. These experiences can also deepen the bond between caregivers and the person in their care by creating natural opportunities for communication and connection. Above all, participants learn about each other in a new context while gaining new insights into each other's ideas and interests,” says Pierce.

Upstairs Artspace Board President Sandra Miller and Lucy Brannon will help facilitate the Meet Me Upstairs program. A lawyer with a background in psychiatric and mental health nursing, Miller says that the Meet Me Upstairs program will allow attendees to engage socially, give them an opportunity to express themselves, connect with others in a similar situation, and maintain meaning and dignity in their lives.

For more information about Meet Me Upstairs: Memory Through Art, contact the gallery at (828) 859-2828 or email frontdesk@upstairsartspace.org. For more information about Foothills Memory Café or Equine Assisted Senior Engagement, contact Jessica Pierce at 828-859-6408 or jessica@easeprogram.org.