From Reflection to Practice

Join this interactive workshop and open forum on culture programming for and with people living with dementia, led by Assistant Manager of Docents & Access Programs Maggie Woolums and Teaching Artist and Creative Aging Advocate Magda Kaczmarska. You will learn about the partnership between the Rubin’s long running program Mindful Connections and Stories in the Moment, an evidence-informed program that combines dance, movement, and storytelling. Experience a demonstration from a portion of this recent multi-sensory program series, hear findings and reflections from participants in the series, and participate in open discussion with other museum access professionals and teaching artists about how multidisciplinary collaborations can extend the field of access programming.

About the teachers

Magda Kaczmarska is a teaching artist and creative-aging advocate based 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 spent ten 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. She serves on the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Dance and Disability Special Interest Group, supporting access, equity, and inclusion in the dance education community. 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.

Maggie Woolums is the Assistant Manager of Docent & Access Programs at the Rubin Museum of Art. In this position, she oversees the Museum’s Accessibility initiatives, specifically Mindful Connections, a monthly program for adults living with dementia and their caregivers, as well as regularly scheduled programs for caregivers and senior audiences. Program themes rotate and frequently highlight current museum exhibitions. They feature staff, specially trained teaching artists, and performers that offer audiences the opportunity to interact with art through a variety of mediums. Maggie has been at the Rubin Museum for 6 years, previously as the Assistant Manager for Box Office and Group Visits in the Public Programs department. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and previously worked with senior audiences during her term as Music Director of Uptown Voices, an outreach group serving hospitals and senior residences in the New York City and Long Island area.

Mindful Connections is supported by the Mellon Foundation and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation.