We acknowledge that this research took place in Vancouver and Burnaby, British Columbia, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. The art was also created from each of our homes on different ancestral territories across the Lower Mainland. And, we recognize that you, the viewer, may be joining from different territories around the world.
We feel very fortunate to learn, work, play, and create in these spaces and acknowledge those who welcomed us into their space and the peoples whose lands continue to host us, nourish us and sustain us. To find out more about the land you are living and working from, visit https://native-land.ca/.
Guiding Principles for The Show
IN THERE OUT HERE: Art Making Space to Live Well with Dementia showcases collaborative art made by warm, inter-connected and supportive community. Comprising people living with dementia and their care partners, academic researchers, and art workshop facilitators alike, this community has joined together, engaging with multi-media art projects and cultivating insightful discussions around what it means to live well with dementia to the end of life.
In order to embrace the inclusivity this community exemplifies, this exhibit is guided by how the artists wish to be identified and have their art represented. The artists elected which pieces were to be shared in the exhibit, and have provided their input on the exhibit’s design and content. This means that, in some cases, it is difficult to ascertain whether the artist is reflecting the voice of someone with dementia or the voice of a care partner as they navigate the dementia journey. In other cases, the distinction is readily apparent as the artist articulate their personal experiences. We are husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, daughters, uncles, teachers, academics, volunteers, artists, actors, managers, athletes, friends, grandparents, and sons: unique, diverse people with myriad social and cultural contributions to offer. And we are proud of the work we’ve done together, and our commitment to staying connected. We keep evolving and changing, learning and growing right up to the end of life.
IN THERE OUT HERE, something surprising and beautiful is to be found. We look forward to hearing what you discover.
Why is this exhibit called “IN THERE OUT HERE” and not “In here out there”?
The Research Project
This art exhibition is part of a larger research project that focuses on learning form people living with dementia and. their care partners about what pitmans to live well with dementia to the end of life, including plans for future health and social care. We were curious about how care planning along the dementia journey could become a more empowering and supportive process that actively reflected the person’s life context. We also sought to infuse traditional research methods with more creative opportunities to both listen deeply to the voices of people living with dementia, and amplify their insights and perspectives.
Learn more about it here:
The Workshops
Making art can be intimidating. A blank canvas or page staring at you, perhaps echoing criticisms from grade school art all those years ago, can feel even more daunting when you’re invited to make art informed by a journey as personal, varied, and complex as dementia.
So, we began with the hands as a way of getting out of our heads.
The first workshops were held in person. Each participant received a small piece of beeswax to turn over in their hands. As the beeswax softened, loosening inhibitions, we shared thoughts on what we wanted people to know about our experience of living with dementia - what we wanted to express.
Learn more about the workshops here:
“Sometimes we don’t even realize how much we know until we give ourselves a chance to write a poem, make a picture, or do something creative. It taps into things in a different way.”
— Susan
I’m a little more accepting of the fact that my life is about to end, and a lot more quickly than what I’d imagined. I need to face up to that, accept it, and make the most of the years I have left. And, it’s helpful to do it with other caring people. Very helpful. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t know that that was going to be a part of it. I’m very grateful for the chance to share my own fears, worries, and concerns with others who are involved here.
- Lester
Gloria Puurveen
Dr. Gloria Puurveen is a postdoctoral research fellow in the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics at the University of British Columbia. Her research centres on end-of-life person-centred dementia care, the subjective experiences of people with dementia, and personhood and social citizenship. She uses qualitative and arts-based research methodologies, and seeks to cultivate ethical research practice through collaborating with and actively involving people with dementia and their care partners in the whole research process.
Susan Cox
Dr. Susan Cox is an Associate Professor and health researcher in the School of Population and Public Health and the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics at UBC. Her work focuses on experiences of health and illness and the stories we tell ourselves and others to make sense of these experiences. Susan enjoys many forms of creative expression including poetry and baking and finds much inspiration in her garden high on a hill overlooking the beautiful ancestral lands of the Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
Natasha Damiano
Natasha Damiano is a PhD student in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of British Columbia, and a Graduate Academic Assistant on the project behind this exhibition. A parent and second-generation Canadian of settler-European heritage, her PhD research explores immigrant children’s embodied experiences of group singing. Passionate about the ‘everyday’ of art and storytelling, she is grateful to have been part of these workshops and for having experienced the community spirit and collective wisdom that participants shared and generated.
Lets do some art together!
Write a story! Create your own artwork! Interact with the artists!
