Memory Connections is a free program for people living with dementia and their caregivers. On the second Thursday of every month, trained teaching artists and special performers facilitate an online experience designed to promote engagement between participants and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region.
The program begins with 30 minutes of close looking, discussion, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary Himalayan art. Our experienced teaching artists present objects from the Museum’s collection in a way that is stimulating and interactive, encouraging conversation among participants and cultivating community. We then invite a different special performer each month to guide participants through an activity that supports their physical, mental, and/or emotional well-being. Examples include mindfulness meditation, yoga, healing practices, poetry writing, vocal performances, and art therapy, among others.
This program series will run through August 2024 and end in advance of the Rubin closing the 17th street building on October 6 and transforming into a global museum.
Major support for Memory Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image: Detail of Arapachana Manjushri; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.464 (HAR 925)
Memory Connections is a free program for people living with dementia and their caregivers. On the second Thursday of every month, trained teaching artists and special performers facilitate an online experience designed to promote engagement between participants and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region.
In addition to an in-depth look at two artworks from the Museum’s collection, the July program features Magda Kaczmarska, a dance artist and creative-aging thought leader, who teaches participants how to use movement as a form of storytelling. All activities can be done seated or standing.
Memory Connections will run through August 2024. On October 6, the Rubin will close the galleries on 17th Street and transform into a global museum model.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Magda Kaczmarska is a dance artist and creative-aging thought leader living in New York City. She received her MFA in dance performance and choreography and her BS in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from the University of Arizona. She brings 10 years working in neuropharmacology research and over 15 years in community-based education settings in dance and creative expression for persons of all ages, specifically older adults, to her practice. Magda founded DanceStream Projects, a creative collective based in New York City, dedicated to building a healthy, expressive, and inclusive community through transdisciplinary partnerships that center the vehicle of dance as a catalyst for systems change. Through DanceStream Projects, Magda created several award-winning programs, including Stories in the Moment, which applies evidence-informed approaches to extend brain health to older adults and people living with dementia through co-creative dance while amplifying their creative voice.
Major support for Memory Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image: Detail of Arapachana Manjushri; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.464 (HAR 925)
Memory Connections is a free program for people living with dementia and their caregivers. On the second Thursday of every month, trained teaching artists and special performers facilitate an online experience designed to promote engagement between participants and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region.
In addition to an in-depth look at two artworks from the Museum’s collection, the June program features Dr. Jetsun Cheme, a traditional Tibetan medicine practitioner and yoga instructor, who will lead participants in a seated yoga activity for mental healing.
This program series will run through August 2024 and end in advance of the Rubin closing the 17th Street building on October 6 and transforming into a global museum.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Jetsun Cheme is a traditional Tibetan medicine doctor and yoga instructor in New York. She has studied Tibetan Buddhist philosophy since she was eight years old. She graduated from Mentsee Khang, Dharamsala, India, in 1998 with a degree in Tibetan medicine. After graduation, she made several medical tours to Nepal, Brazil, and India, serving the Tibetan Government Mentsee Khang Center for five years until 2003. She moved to the United States in 2004 and settled in New York. Since 2004 she has served the Tibetan community of New York and New Jersey as well as the local diverse community through her knowledge of traditional Tibetan medicine and yoga healing practices.
As a result of her work, she hopes to promote and bring awareness about Tibetan medicine and the rich Tibetan culture. She is passionate about benefiting others through her knowledge and experience, regardless of race, color, religion, culture, and background.
Major support for Memory Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image: Detail of Arapachana Manjushri; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.464 (HAR 925)
Memory Connections is a free monthly program that promotes engagement between adults living with dementia and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region. Join Rubin Museum staff and teaching artists for an hour of close looking, discussion, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary Himalayan art. This program takes place online via Zoom.
In addition to an in-depth look at two artworks from the Museum’s collection, the May program features Tracy Cochran, a meditation teacher, author, and guide who will lead participants in an engaging meditation exercise.
This program series will run through August 2024 and end in advance of the Rubin closing the 17th street building on October 6 and transforming into a global museum.
About the Speaker
Tracy Cochran has been a student and teacher of meditation and spiritual practice for decades. She is the founder of the Hudson River Sangha, which is now virtual and is open to all. The link for her weekly meditations can be found on her website: tracycochran.org. Tracy has taught mindfulness meditation and mindful writing at the Rubin Museum of Art and the New York Insight Meditation Center. In addition, Tracy has taught mindfulness meditation and mindful writing at schools, corporations, and other venues worldwide. She is also a writer and the editorial director of Parabola, an acclaimed quarterly magazine that seeks to bring timeless spiritual wisdom to the burning questions of the day. Her writings, podcasts, and other details can be found on her website and on parabola.org.
Major support for Memory Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image: Detail of Arapachana Manjushri; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.464 (HAR 925)
Memory Connections is a free monthly program that promotes engagement between adults living with dementia and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region. Join Rubin Museum staff and teaching artists for an hour of close looking, discussion, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary Himalayan art. This program takes place online via Zoom.
In addition to an in-depth look at two artworks from the Museum’s collection, the April program includes a yoga session with Angela Palma, a certified yoga and meditation teacher. Adults with memory loss and their caregivers are susceptible to both physical and mental imbalance, which can affect their overall health. Yoga can help counteract these negative effects by restoring balance in the physical body as well as improving mental and spiritual health. When you have restored your balance, you can provide better care for yourself and others.
Participants can expect mindful breathing, seated poses, and balance practices in this program. Movement variations will be offered for those with limited mobility. This program takes place online via Zoom.
Angela Palma is a certified yoga and meditation teacher who promotes a universal love of yoga and encourages compassion toward all beings. She started practicing yoga as a student in 2019 and fell in love with the philosophy and what it means to be a yogi. She became a certified yoga instructor in 2023 at the Cape Cod Yoga School in Mashpee, MA. Additionally, she has a bachelor’s in exercise science and a master’s in health promotion. Combining her educational background and yoga knowledge, she leads accessible, productive, safe, and fun classes for all.
Major support for Memory Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image: Detail of Arapachana Manjushri; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.464 (HAR 925)
Memory Connections is a free monthly program that promotes engagement between adults living with dementia and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region. Join Rubin Museum staff and teaching artists for an hour of close looking, discussion, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary Himalayan art. This program takes place online via Zoom.
In addition to an in-depth look at two artworks from the Museum’s collection, the March program includes a discussion and guided meditation with certified mindfulness instructor Kimberly Brown. Through Buddhist teachings and contemporary mindfulness techniques, Kimberly will help attendees develop their inherent qualities of kindness, compassion, and good sense.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kimberly Brown is a meditation teacher and author. She leads classes and retreats that emphasize the power of compassion and kindness meditation to reconnect us to ourselves and others. Her teachings provide an approachable pathway to personal and collective well-being through effective and modern techniques based on traditional practices. She studies in both the Tibetan and Insight schools of Buddhism and is a certified mindfulness instructor. Her latest book, Navigating Grief and Loss: 25 Buddhist Practices to Keep Your Heart Open to Yourself and Others, was published in November 2022, and an updated edition of Steady, Calm, and Brave was released in January 2023. Both are published by Prometheus Books. You can learn more about Kimberly on her website.
Major support for Memory Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image: Detail of Arapachana Manjushri; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.464 (HAR 925)
Memory Connections is a free program for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Every month, trained teaching artists and special performers facilitate an online experience designed to promote engagement between participants and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region.
The day of this special Saturday program marks one of the four “great occasions” connected with the Buddha’s life: Lhabab Düchen. We will be celebrating by taking an in-depth look at related objects in the Museum’s collection. In the Tibetan Buddhist calendar, this festival commemorates the Buddha’s descent from the heavenly realm, where he had gone to impart teachings to his mother, who was reborn there. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, practitioners engage in virtuous activities and prayer to gain merit and celebrate the Buddha’s return to Earth.
In addition, we will explore the power of mantra singing through active listening and recitation, inviting participants to experience how sound can positively affect the mind and body. Tibetan mantra singer Drukmo Gyal will discuss the significance of the Lhabab Düchen festival and share a contemplative, soothing call-and-response style mantra meditation with the group. Join in by lending your voice or practicing conscious listening.
About the Speaker
Drukmo Gyal grew up in a multi-ethnic community in Rebgong in the Amdo region of Tibet, where mantra and meditation were an integral part of her daily life from a young age. There she studied traditional Tibetan medicine before working at the Estonian Academy for Traditional Tibetan Medicine (EATTM) in Tallinn. Drukmo’s encounters with European cultures pushed her to introduce healing mantras to the West. She has curated five albums of Tibetan healing mantras and prayers with musicians from around the world. Since 2015, Drukmo has presented more than 100 concerts, lectures, and courses in 30 countries with the support of Buddhist and yoga communities in Europe, America, and East Asia, focusing on the power of mantra and meditation in mental and physical well being.
Major support for Mindful Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image credit: Shakyamuni Buddha; 1960; eastern Tibet; ink on paper; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of William Hinman; C2001.4.8 (HAR 87508).
Memory Connections is a free program for people living with dementia and their caregivers. On the second Thursday of every month, trained teaching artists and special performers facilitate an online experience designed to promote engagement between participants and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region.
In addition to an in-depth look at two artworks from the Museum’s collection, the October program includes a discussion with Lavina Shamdasani, a certified Compassion Cultivation Training© (CCT™) instructor. Through CCT, participants experience how the value of compassion and compassionate behaviors lead to a greater sense of purpose, more resilience and ease, and improved health outcomes.
About the Speaker
Lavina Shamdasani studied the neuroscience, philosophy, and pedagogy of compassion at the Compassion Institute™. She has taught Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) and self-compassion classes, and led book club discussions and meditations at Tibet House US and The Trinity School. She has a degree in pre-med and biomedical engineering and has worked in the healthcare industry for several years. Having lived in Kenya, India, and the US, Lavina has firsthand experience with a multitude of different religions and cultures and has an international and diverse background. CCT had a transformative impact on her and brought about a positive shift in the overall quality of her life and relationships that inspired her to teach within her community. Lavina has a passion for travel and design.
Major support for Mindful Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image credit: Detail of Chakrasamvara; Tibet; 18th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.49.1 (HAR 895)
Memory Connections is a free program for people living with dementia and their caregivers. On the second Thursday of every month, trained teaching artists and special performers facilitate an online experience designed to promote engagement between participants and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region.
In addition to an in-depth look at two artworks from the Museum’s collection, the September program includes a mindful movement workshop in partnership with GROOVE NYC. Explore a variety of styles and genres that encourage you to feel good in your body while nurturing mind, heart, and soul. This workshop is accessible for all levels of mobility, as participants have the option to remain seated during the activity.
About GROOVE NYC
GROOVE NYC builds community and social emotional awareness through movement and dance. GROOVE offers dance experiences, mindfulness workshops, and meditation sessions to students, teachers, and the community at large. If you can move, you can groove!
Major support for Mindful Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image credit: Detail of Chakrasamvara; Tibet; 18th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.49.1 (HAR 895)
Memory Connections is a free monthly program that promotes engagement between adults living with dementia and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region. Join Rubin Museum staff and teaching artists for an hour of close looking, discussion, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary Himalayan art. This program takes place online via Zoom.
Usher in the Lunar New Year with symbols of good luck, prosperity, and happiness. Our February program celebrates Losar, the Tibetan Lunar New Year, with an exploration of two related objects from the Rubin’s collection: a sculpture of Marichi, the Buddhist goddess of the dawn, and a painted chart that serves as a protective talisman.
Major support for Memory Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image: Detail of Arapachana Manjushri; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.464 (HAR 925)
Memory Connections is a free monthly program that promotes engagement between adults living with dementia and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region. Join Rubin Museum staff and teaching artists for an hour of close looking, discussion, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary Himalayan art. This program takes place online via Zoom.
Winter is a time for telling stories. On January 11 we will discuss two beautiful paintings that illustrate the Jātaka tales and Avadāna stories. The Jātakas recount events of the Buddha’s former lifetimes, while the Avadānas are morality teachings that demonstrate the cause-and-effect principles of karma. These paintings celebrate the power of action when it is motivated by kindness, compassion, and wisdom.
Major support for Mindful Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
Image: Detail of Arapachana Manjushri; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.464 (HAR 925)
Memory Connections is a free program for people living with dementia and their caregivers. On the second Thursday of every month, trained teaching artists and special performers facilitate an online experience designed to promote engagement between participants and the art and cultures of the Himalayan region.
In addition to an in-depth look at two artworks from the Museum’s collection, the December program will be the second and final session of a mini series in partnership with Stories in the Moment, an evidence-informed program for people living with dementia, as well as their care partners and friends. The program uses dance and movement as a form of storytelling and is built on the principle that all of us, regardless of our modes of cognition, have stories to tell and the means to tell them. Together, we bring our minds and bodies together to build stories in the moment. All activities can be done seated or standing.
About the Speaker
Magda Kaczmarska is a dance artist and creative-aging thought leader living in New York City. She received her MFA in dance performance and choreography and her BS in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from the University of Arizona. She brings 10 years working in neuropharmacology research and over 15 years in community-based education settings in dance and creative expression for persons of all ages, specifically older adults, to her practice. Magda founded DanceStream Projects, a creative collective based in New York City, dedicated to building a healthy, expressive, and inclusive community through transdisciplinary partnerships that center the vehicle of dance as a catalyst for systems change. Through DanceStream Projects, Magda created several award-winning programs, including Stories in the Moment, which apply evidence-informed approaches to extend brain health to older adults and people living with dementia through co-creative dance while amplifying their creative voice. Magda is passionate in advocating for the rights of older persons and people living with dementia and serves as a representative to the United Nations with Generations United and is the vice president of the Foundation Dementia Action Alliance Poland. Magda is an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at GBHI, where she is working to design and expand access to creative aging programs that support brain health across the lifespan.
Major support for Mindful Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.