October 26, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Cristina Diaz
Media and Community Relations Manager
215.753.3664
Art Exhibition at Chestnut Hill College Challenges Views of Dementia
Philadelphia, PA- ARTZ Philadelphia will host Seeing Hope In Color: Creative Work by People Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners from Monday, October 31 through Friday, November 18 at Chestnut Hill College. The exhibit will be displayed in the Dwight. V. Dowley gallery, fifth floor, St. Joseph Hall.
An opening reception for artists and their friends and families will be held on Friday, October 28, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. The general public is invited to attend a “First Friday” opening reception on the evening of Friday, November 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The public opening will include the presentation of the 2nd annual ARTZ Philadelphia “Community Catalyst” award to Florence Gelo, D.Min., associate professor at Drexel University College of Medicine. In addition, the first ARTZ Philadelphia “Caring Community” award will be presented to the Woodmere Art Museum.
The exhibit’s title, Seeing Hope In Color, reflects the powerful visual connections that many people living with dementia make when given the opportunity to allow their imaginations to soar through viewing and making art together. ARTZ Philadelphia Executive Director Susan Shifrin explains, “The title was inspired by a quote from an ARTZ program participant, Pearl, who was asked which of the colors in a painting was her favorite. She responded immediately ‘Red. Red is bright and clear and hopeful. When I see red, I have hope.’”
“This exhibition is a wonderful affirmation of the human spirit,” said Susannah Coleman, vice president for institutional advancement at the College. “Chestnut Hill College is delighted to welcome ARTZ Philadelphia!”
ARTZ Philadelphia offers monthly arts and culture programs throughout the greater Philadelphia area, providing opportunities for self-expression for both people living with dementia and those that care for them.
“People with diagnoses of dementia are imaginative; they are creative; they are vital members of our community for whom dignity, self-respect, and the respect and appreciation of others matters a great deal,” said Shifrin.
The ARTZ Philadelphia exhibition aims to honor their achievements and recognize that hope is still a possibility.
###
About Chestnut Hill College
Celebrating more than 90 years of tradition and risk, Chestnut Hill College is a four-year coed Catholic college in the Ignatian tradition that offers a traditional liberal arts undergraduate program as well as accelerated undergraduate degrees, master’s and doctoral programs. The College has been rated by US News & World Report as among the best master’s universities in the North, as among the best Northeastern colleges by The Princeton Review, and has been classified as selective by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Since 1924, the College has offered a rigorous curriculum that provides students with a broad background in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The goal of Chestnut Hill College has been to prepare students for life’s challenges by helping them to grow intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and socially.
