REGION — SeniorsPlus, Western Maine’s designated Area Agency on Aging, is bringing back Opening Minds through Art (OMA), a program that strives to bring joy, art, and pride to people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s in our community. Through a series of classes, OMA engages people with dementia in creating free-wheeling art. OMA classes will be offered at all three of the offices of SeniorsPlus in 2024: from 2 to 3 p.m. on Fridays April 5 through May 10 at 9 Marston St., Norway; from 2 to 3 p.m. on Fridays, June 14 through July 19 at 8 Falcon Road, Lewiston; 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursdays August 1 through September 5 at 284 Main St., Wilton; and 2 to 3 p.m. on Fridays September 27 through November 1 at 8 Falcon Road, Lewiston. Registration is required by contacting SeniorsPlus at 207-795-4010 or [email protected]. The classes are free.

During the six-week program, people with dementia (the ‘artists’) are paired one-on-one with volunteers who help them create art using imagination instead of memory. SeniorsPlus seeks artists for the program, as well as volunteers to work one-on-one with participants in these art classes. No art background is required.

OMA is an award-winning, evidence-based, intergenerational art-making program for people with dementia. Developed in 2007 at Miami University’s Scripps Gerontology Center, the program is grounded in person-centered care principles. It is designed to provide creative expression and social engagement opportunities for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.