Portledge School students in Locust Valley, NY visit Atria Glen Cove senior center to unveil Memory Projects, an exhibit featuring works inspired by the residents of Atria in honor of National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.
On Nov. 29, during National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, young students from Portledge School in Locust Valley visited the Atria Glen Cove senior living facility to unveil the Memory Project, an exhibit featuring artworks inspired by the residents of the Atria.
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Young Portledge School students visit Atria Glen Cove senior living facility to unveil the "Memory Project." Courtesy Portledge School
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Students in third through fifth grades viewed and listened to stories shared by 12 senior residents of the Atria, and then used those stories as a starting point for the two- and three-dimensional art projects they created.
The children drew inspiration from stories about a child named Gloria and her chocolate adventure, Billy’s sports mishaps, and a dog named Rex who decided to help himself to some holiday pie. They also had the opportunity to create projects based on memories shared by their grandparents and their own childhood memories. The creative works included paintings, ceramic sculptures, and mixed-media works.
The daytime viewing featured the children’s work and all of the children took a field trip to the assisted living center, assisted by their family members. Doris Benter, art teacher at Portledge School, created a film that documented the memories shared by the Atria senior residents and students at Portledge, which was shown during the viewing.
The children and seniors had a fun time meeting each other, and the children had the opportunity to answer questions from the residents.
The evening art show was open to the community and featured artwork from local artist Chuck Van Horn, Portledge School students, and Atria residents.
“This type of art-inspired social action program reinforces Portledge’s focus on the importance of inter-generational equity,” says Simon Owen-Williams, Portledge’s Head of School. “We need to learn from the wisdom of our elders and listen to their powerful stories.”
