Sage Advice: Art Opens New Doors for Persons with Memory Loss

On June 7^th, the Arts League of Lowell & the Lowell Film Collaborative will offer a free screening of I Remember Better When I Paint, an inspirational and eye-opening documentary about how artistic expression can open new doors to of communication and creativity for individuals struggling with memory loss, Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia.

With narration by Olivia de Havilland, the film title comes from the words of Hilda Goldlatt Gorenstein, an artist who signed her art work as “Hilgos”. In her lifetime, Gorenstein painted over 1,500 pieces of art in her 70 years including twelve murals for the U.S. Navy’s exhibit in the Federal Building for the 1933-1934 International Exhibition Century of Progress, a World's Fair held in Chicago.

Gorenstein was impacted by memory loss but she kept at her work saying, “I remember better when I paint”.

Interwoven throughout film are interviews with Robert Neil Butler, founding director of the National Institute of Aging;^[6] Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai Medical Center; Gene D. Cohen of George Washington University; Robert Green and Bob Stern of Boston University; and Avertano Noronha of the University of Chicago. Their comments give evidence to the power of art to tap into memory, enhance communication and open doors to creativity.

 “I Remember Better When I Paint” has been shown at locations as diverse as the Louvre in Paris and Boston University School of Medicine. In Lowell, the film will be shown at the ALL Arts Gallery located at 22 Shattuck Street, Lowell, MA. 

Special guests at the Lowell showing will include Sean Caulfield – Co-founder, Artists for Alzheimer’s, Ruth Remington, PhD, APRN, BC – School of Health & Development, UMass Lowell, and Julianne Hertz, ATR-BC, LMHC – Art Therapist, Lesley University.

All are welcome to this free event.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with viewing at 7:00 p.m.