Memory Connections

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 November program will be the first 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 Artist

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.

Image credit: 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).

Major support for Memory Connections is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.