1
00:00:00,030 --> 00:00:08,460
good afternoon I'm saris Ross the Mary

2
00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:12,179
and James Siemens director of the NAND

3
00:00:08,460 --> 00:00:15,450
it's my extreme pleasure to be able to

4
00:00:12,179 --> 00:00:17,490
welcome you this afternoon I was

5
00:00:15,450 --> 00:00:21,480
supposed to be on a plane but something

6
00:00:17,490 --> 00:00:24,210
happened and so I was just so happy that

7
00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:27,570
I could be here to tell you how excited

8
00:00:24,210 --> 00:00:29,670
I am about this conference how excited I

9
00:00:27,570 --> 00:00:32,520
am that you are all here every single

10
00:00:29,670 --> 00:00:34,770
one of you it's an impressive list it's

11
00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:37,230
incredible the work you do is so

12
00:00:34,770 --> 00:00:39,510
essential to me it's so to me it's

13
00:00:37,230 --> 00:00:42,510
really essential to the world it's

14
00:00:39,510 --> 00:00:44,760
really essential it's extremely

15
00:00:42,510 --> 00:00:47,309
important so I'm so happy that you're

16
00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,899
gathered together and you can share and

17
00:00:47,309 --> 00:00:52,890
talk to each other it's going to be

18
00:00:48,899 --> 00:00:55,379
fabulous one of my first initiatives was

19
00:00:52,890 --> 00:00:57,030
to in something a staff meeting and said

20
00:00:55,379 --> 00:00:59,129
well okay here are my initiatives one

21
00:00:57,030 --> 00:01:02,280
two three and the one I wanted

22
00:00:59,129 --> 00:01:04,589
you know first initiative was to start

23
00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:07,590
an Alzheimer's program here at the

24
00:01:04,589 --> 00:01:09,479
Nasher we hadn't done anything like this

25
00:01:07,590 --> 00:01:12,360
we really were concentrating on K

26
00:01:09,479 --> 00:01:15,780
through 12 so I said this at a staff

27
00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,250
meeting and Jessica truely who is our

28
00:01:15,780 --> 00:01:20,420
you've probably already met her but

29
00:01:17,250 --> 00:01:24,330
she's our director of education and

30
00:01:20,420 --> 00:01:27,060
programs Jessica said well I'm going to

31
00:01:24,330 --> 00:01:29,369
do that too and so it's pretty

32
00:01:27,060 --> 00:01:32,040
incredible I had an immediate staff

33
00:01:29,369 --> 00:01:35,040
member who took this on and I'm so

34
00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:36,600
appreciative to her and you'll hear from

35
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,780
her in a minute because she's going to

36
00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:44,189
introduce our speaker I really need to

37
00:01:39,780 --> 00:01:47,420
be able to express great gratitude to

38
00:01:44,189 --> 00:01:50,030
some people who have supported us in

39
00:01:47,420 --> 00:01:52,320
this specific program

40
00:01:50,030 --> 00:01:54,840
Stephanie Kahn I wondered if you would

41
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:57,329
just stand up a minute I know I'm going

42
00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,700
to embarrass her I know that but this is

43
00:01:57,329 --> 00:02:02,549
Stephanie Kahn and she and her husband

44
00:01:59,700 --> 00:02:08,329
Doug have up their dogs

45
00:02:02,549 --> 00:02:08,329
Doug and Doug stand up Doug stand up

46
00:02:08,340 --> 00:02:13,239
without Stephanie and Doug this program

47
00:02:11,050 --> 00:02:15,819
just would not be here so we are

48
00:02:13,239 --> 00:02:19,330
extremely extremely grateful to them

49
00:02:15,819 --> 00:02:21,010
both and Stephanie's a gallery guide and

50
00:02:19,330 --> 00:02:23,050
she helps with the program so she knows

51
00:02:21,010 --> 00:02:26,769
a lot about it and yet so you'll see her

52
00:02:23,050 --> 00:02:28,900
in different workshops and lectures and

53
00:02:26,769 --> 00:02:31,450
just go right up to her and say thank

54
00:02:28,900 --> 00:02:33,640
you in - Doug - and speaking of gallery

55
00:02:31,450 --> 00:02:37,390
guys we have several gallery guides also

56
00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:40,000
in the audience and I want to thank them

57
00:02:37,390 --> 00:02:43,000
for their work and their creativity in

58
00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:46,000
making these tours at the Nasher so

59
00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:48,459
exceptional you know we're University

60
00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,310
Art Museum we're connected to Duke a

61
00:02:48,459 --> 00:02:55,120
great University but we're also the only

62
00:02:51,310 --> 00:02:59,739
Art Museum in Durham the city that we

63
00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:04,360
are in so we're also a community museum

64
00:02:59,739 --> 00:03:06,160
and this is a community program except

65
00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:09,190
you know one thing I thought always

66
00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:12,400
would be interesting would be that if we

67
00:03:09,190 --> 00:03:14,680
connected this program to the Medical

68
00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:17,230
Center - you know physicians who are

69
00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,910
doing research on Alzheimer's you know

70
00:03:17,230 --> 00:03:21,760
that's been a little harder than we

71
00:03:18,910 --> 00:03:22,000
thought it would be but we're working on

72
00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,010
it

73
00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:27,280
we're really working on it and Jessica's

74
00:03:24,010 --> 00:03:30,220
made good strides and I think that will

75
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:33,040
help all of us actually if we connect

76
00:03:30,220 --> 00:03:35,470
that a little bit with research another

77
00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:38,620
person I want to thank is Brittany

78
00:03:35,470 --> 00:03:40,810
Halberstadt Brittany you probably

79
00:03:38,620 --> 00:03:44,350
corresponded with her already Brittany

80
00:03:40,810 --> 00:03:47,380
is a you were a freshman now you're

81
00:03:44,350 --> 00:03:50,440
going to be a sophomore and she works

82
00:03:47,380 --> 00:03:52,299
for this program we've hired her she's

83
00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:55,060
amazing I had her as a student she's

84
00:03:52,299 --> 00:03:57,280
amazing and so you know Brittany I want

85
00:03:55,060 --> 00:03:59,769
to thank Brittany and there are other

86
00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:02,019
supporters in the room too that that I'd

87
00:03:59,769 --> 00:04:06,280
like to thank and this daily work could

88
00:04:02,019 --> 00:04:11,100
not happen without you and last I need

89
00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:14,190
to thank the Carlisle Adams foundation

90
00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:16,180
without their generous support this

91
00:04:14,190 --> 00:04:19,239
conference wouldn't be happening

92
00:04:16,180 --> 00:04:20,709
with their support that we were able to

93
00:04:19,239 --> 00:04:24,340
offer some funding

94
00:04:20,709 --> 00:04:26,830
or travel and get in some of the best

95
00:04:24,340 --> 00:04:28,479
leaders in the field I'm very excited

96
00:04:26,830 --> 00:04:31,060
about this it's a really great thing to

97
00:04:28,479 --> 00:04:32,680
get you all together and I know it's

98
00:04:31,060 --> 00:04:35,949
going to be exciting and I have just a

99
00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:40,599
little tiny tiny word to say find a

100
00:04:35,949 --> 00:04:42,039
friend find a mentor you know if

101
00:04:40,599 --> 00:04:44,530
somebody had said that to me when I

102
00:04:42,039 --> 00:04:45,910
first attended my first directors

103
00:04:44,530 --> 00:04:48,550
conference that that would have been

104
00:04:45,910 --> 00:04:50,680
useful but it's true I mean you know

105
00:04:48,550 --> 00:04:53,889
it's all about networking in this world

106
00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:55,750
and you know we learn from each other we

107
00:04:53,889 --> 00:04:58,270
help from each other so don't be shy

108
00:04:55,750 --> 00:04:59,530
just go up to somebody and just say I

109
00:04:58,270 --> 00:05:03,430
want to be your friend

110
00:04:59,530 --> 00:05:06,250
and then soon so I'm going to turn it

111
00:05:03,430 --> 00:05:09,729
over to Jessica now Jessica and Thank

112
00:05:06,250 --> 00:05:15,789
You Jessica I'm so proud of you very

113
00:05:09,729 --> 00:05:17,440
proud of you thank you Sarah I am

114
00:05:15,789 --> 00:05:20,169
Jessica rouille the director of

115
00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:22,449
education and public programs here at

116
00:05:20,169 --> 00:05:25,090
the Nasher as we thank people this

117
00:05:22,449 --> 00:05:27,210
afternoon I especially thank Sarah for

118
00:05:25,090 --> 00:05:30,070
her leadership and support as she

119
00:05:27,210 --> 00:05:32,650
discussed from the very beginning of our

120
00:05:30,070 --> 00:05:35,289
reflections program she has pushed and

121
00:05:32,650 --> 00:05:37,990
encouraged for this to continually grow

122
00:05:35,289 --> 00:05:40,479
and expand which I am very grateful

123
00:05:37,990 --> 00:05:42,729
like Sarah I am thrilled to welcome all

124
00:05:40,479 --> 00:05:44,979
of you to Durham into the Nasher I'm

125
00:05:42,729 --> 00:05:47,050
looking forward to spending the next few

126
00:05:44,979 --> 00:05:49,840
days together getting to discuss the

127
00:05:47,050 --> 00:05:52,240
work that we do so many times when we

128
00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:55,330
attend a state or a national conference

129
00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:57,610
the sessions on accessibility there

130
00:05:55,330 --> 00:06:00,520
might be a handful but they don't

131
00:05:57,610 --> 00:06:03,039
necessarily refer to those with dementia

132
00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:05,380
and so having the opportunity over this

133
00:06:03,039 --> 00:06:07,240
week to really be able to spend that

134
00:06:05,380 --> 00:06:09,849
time together and to have the

135
00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:12,580
conversations around best practices and

136
00:06:09,849 --> 00:06:14,020
future plans is something that I'm so

137
00:06:12,580 --> 00:06:16,389
excited to do together

138
00:06:14,020 --> 00:06:18,520
and like Sarah and grateful for our

139
00:06:16,389 --> 00:06:22,180
donors who have made this time together

140
00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:24,520
possible to Doug and Stephanie to Dave

141
00:06:22,180 --> 00:06:27,070
and Emily here from the Carlisle Adams

142
00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:30,010
Foundation without your support we

143
00:06:27,070 --> 00:06:32,080
wouldn't be here today I also want to

144
00:06:30,010 --> 00:06:33,770
thank Brittany you will all enjoy

145
00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,990
meeting her this way

146
00:06:33,770 --> 00:06:38,270
and truthfully this week would not have

147
00:06:35,990 --> 00:06:41,569
happened without her hard work over this

148
00:06:38,270 --> 00:06:43,819
past year we recently had an African

149
00:06:41,569 --> 00:06:46,580
musician working as part of one of our

150
00:06:43,819 --> 00:06:48,500
reflections tours who said if you want

151
00:06:46,580 --> 00:06:50,900
to know something hang out with older

152
00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:54,110
people they will bless you with their

153
00:06:50,900 --> 00:06:57,229
advice our first speaker is a man who

154
00:06:54,110 --> 00:06:57,970
knows and appreciates the gifts of older

155
00:06:57,229 --> 00:07:00,319
people

156
00:06:57,970 --> 00:07:03,229
Damon mcLeese has served as executive

157
00:07:00,319 --> 00:07:06,500
director of the access gallery in Denver

158
00:07:03,229 --> 00:07:08,569
for the last 20 years he worked with

159
00:07:06,500 --> 00:07:11,479
organizations to address issues of

160
00:07:08,569 --> 00:07:14,509
culture and creativity challenging

161
00:07:11,479 --> 00:07:17,620
long-held notions of access as well as

162
00:07:14,509 --> 00:07:21,110
ability and disability Damon was the

163
00:07:17,620 --> 00:07:25,099
2015 recipient of Denver's mayor's award

164
00:07:21,110 --> 00:07:27,289
for innovations in the arts and the 2017

165
00:07:25,099 --> 00:07:30,080
Governor's Award for leadership in the

166
00:07:27,289 --> 00:07:32,479
arts in Colorado we are delighted to

167
00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:40,009
hear him speak today please help me

168
00:07:32,479 --> 00:07:42,560
welcome Damon alright okay so I had to

169
00:07:40,009 --> 00:07:43,699
bring my my cheat sheet because make

170
00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:46,009
sure the slides are in order

171
00:07:43,699 --> 00:07:48,349
first of all thank you I am truly

172
00:07:46,009 --> 00:07:50,449
honored to be here today I've never been

173
00:07:48,349 --> 00:07:53,060
to North Carolina so far I like it very

174
00:07:50,449 --> 00:07:55,219
very friendly people

175
00:07:53,060 --> 00:07:56,900
the gentleman who drove me over on the

176
00:07:55,219 --> 00:07:59,539
bus today from the hotel I had to get

177
00:07:56,900 --> 00:08:00,860
here early he's like you're really early

178
00:07:59,539 --> 00:08:02,419
I'm like yeah I know but if I said in

179
00:08:00,860 --> 00:08:04,669
the hotel room any longer I'm gonna get

180
00:08:02,419 --> 00:08:07,130
very nervous and you don't want me to be

181
00:08:04,669 --> 00:08:10,340
nervous so he's like I could drive you

182
00:08:07,130 --> 00:08:12,380
around a little bit I'm like okay yeah

183
00:08:10,340 --> 00:08:13,940
I'm like yeah that's great and he kept

184
00:08:12,380 --> 00:08:15,860
talking to me and talking to me and

185
00:08:13,940 --> 00:08:17,300
showing me you know the East Campus and

186
00:08:15,860 --> 00:08:19,430
the West Campus and it was really

187
00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:21,020
actually quite lovely I felt very much

188
00:08:19,430 --> 00:08:24,259
at home so thank you again for having me

189
00:08:21,020 --> 00:08:26,180
I am still not entirely sure how Jessica

190
00:08:24,259 --> 00:08:28,880
got ahold of me but I am so grateful

191
00:08:26,180 --> 00:08:30,650
that she does I'm like okay we can

192
00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,599
definitely do this I want to tell you a

193
00:08:30,650 --> 00:08:34,130
little bit about myself and tell you a

194
00:08:32,599 --> 00:08:36,860
little bit about my presentation style

195
00:08:34,130 --> 00:08:38,419
because I am NOT a lecturer if I start

196
00:08:36,860 --> 00:08:40,310
lecturing you're going to go to sleep

197
00:08:38,419 --> 00:08:42,529
okay you're not going to get a lot of

198
00:08:40,310 --> 00:08:45,440
numbers there's not going to be any text

199
00:08:42,529 --> 00:08:46,410
on the screen just sit back and relax I

200
00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,720
do tend to

201
00:08:46,410 --> 00:08:51,060
tell stories and I promise you that the

202
00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,259
stories all sort of intersect at one

203
00:08:51,060 --> 00:08:55,350
point or another

204
00:08:52,259 --> 00:08:57,389
okay so linear is not a word that's ever

205
00:08:55,350 --> 00:08:59,190
used to describe Gaiman okay

206
00:08:57,389 --> 00:09:01,500
so we're not going to go from point A to

207
00:08:59,190 --> 00:09:04,050
point B okay we're going to go to point

208
00:09:01,500 --> 00:09:06,149
A to point maybe L or M and then we're

209
00:09:04,050 --> 00:09:07,350
going to come back a little bit okay but

210
00:09:06,149 --> 00:09:08,970
just to kick this off I'm going to tell

211
00:09:07,350 --> 00:09:12,180
you really how I feel about being here

212
00:09:08,970 --> 00:09:16,439
and let's see if this works yes it works

213
00:09:12,180 --> 00:09:18,720
okay I am so happy to be here I I really

214
00:09:16,439 --> 00:09:20,639
am truly blessed to have the job that

215
00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:23,370
I've had for twenty years I've been able

216
00:09:20,639 --> 00:09:25,980
to go around the world and all around

217
00:09:23,370 --> 00:09:29,160
this country and I don't have a formal

218
00:09:25,980 --> 00:09:31,290
arts education background at all in fact

219
00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,509
when they hired me one of the questions

220
00:09:31,290 --> 00:09:36,029
was are you an artist and I could

221
00:09:33,509 --> 00:09:38,519
honestly say no I am NOT an artist

222
00:09:36,029 --> 00:09:41,939
okay I've not taken any formal art

223
00:09:38,519 --> 00:09:45,540
training ever I was sort of thrown into

224
00:09:41,939 --> 00:09:48,480
the fire and it stuck I truly found a

225
00:09:45,540 --> 00:09:50,610
home I want to talk a little bit about

226
00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:53,939
this piece of art because it's sort of

227
00:09:50,610 --> 00:09:56,310
encapsulate how I got here today so

228
00:09:53,939 --> 00:09:58,980
about five years ago maybe six years ago

229
00:09:56,310 --> 00:10:00,930
is the lady from the moment still here

230
00:09:58,980 --> 00:10:02,850
yeah oh there you are Hey

231
00:10:00,930 --> 00:10:04,680
so about five years ago I got a little

232
00:10:02,850 --> 00:10:07,470
funding to go to MoMA for the meet me at

233
00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:09,810
MoMA training okay and at that point the

234
00:10:07,470 --> 00:10:12,649
idea of Alzheimer's and memory care and

235
00:10:09,810 --> 00:10:16,649
dementia was not even on my horizon

236
00:10:12,649 --> 00:10:19,170
professionally it just didn't dawn on me

237
00:10:16,649 --> 00:10:21,569
that I would ever be doing anything with

238
00:10:19,170 --> 00:10:23,279
people with Alzheimer's or dementia we

239
00:10:21,569 --> 00:10:24,689
were a youth based program where we were

240
00:10:23,279 --> 00:10:26,490
doing school-based programs for kids

241
00:10:24,689 --> 00:10:29,399
with disabilities so the idea of

242
00:10:26,490 --> 00:10:31,050
dementia the idea of Alzheimer's on a

243
00:10:29,399 --> 00:10:34,290
professional level just wasn't on the

244
00:10:31,050 --> 00:10:36,329
horizon but looking back now it hit me

245
00:10:34,290 --> 00:10:38,399
very personally while I was in New York

246
00:10:36,329 --> 00:10:41,040
my mom had just moved into an assisted

247
00:10:38,399 --> 00:10:42,629
living center actually she was in the

248
00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,670
Independent Living Center at the moment

249
00:10:42,629 --> 00:10:45,089
but I was getting calls I'm in New York

250
00:10:44,670 --> 00:10:47,040
okay

251
00:10:45,089 --> 00:10:50,069
and I'm like living it up I met mom I'm

252
00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:52,439
like kind of digging it and I'm getting

253
00:10:50,069 --> 00:10:54,029
calls from the center saying yo your mom

254
00:10:52,439 --> 00:10:55,350
has a urinary tract infection your mom

255
00:10:54,029 --> 00:10:57,569
too dis your mom did this and I'm there

256
00:10:55,350 --> 00:10:58,920
for about three days it's like okay wow

257
00:10:57,569 --> 00:10:59,510
what can I do from here and it was

258
00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,190
really

259
00:10:59,510 --> 00:11:03,050
sort of a harbinger of things to come

260
00:11:01,190 --> 00:11:04,910
I'm gonna talk a little bit more about

261
00:11:03,050 --> 00:11:07,160
my mom here in a minute but while I was

262
00:11:04,910 --> 00:11:10,490
at MoMA I learned something about myself

263
00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:13,310
and what I learned and what I realized

264
00:11:10,490 --> 00:11:14,720
is I learned so much from you all so I'm

265
00:11:13,310 --> 00:11:16,040
here talking about things that I'm

266
00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,500
passionate about

267
00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:21,800
and that includes all of you because

268
00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:24,110
museums have been my education again

269
00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,760
I've never had a formal art class well

270
00:11:24,110 --> 00:11:29,030
actually I take the back in college I

271
00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:30,800
didn't go to Duke sorry I did have an

272
00:11:29,030 --> 00:11:33,110
art history class and I think I got a C

273
00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:35,030
so there's you know that's kind of my

274
00:11:33,110 --> 00:11:36,740
background but every time I go to

275
00:11:35,030 --> 00:11:38,450
museums I've always loved museums

276
00:11:36,740 --> 00:11:40,340
because I learned and I remember the one

277
00:11:38,450 --> 00:11:42,920
thing that I took away from the media

278
00:11:40,340 --> 00:11:45,110
MoMA training was just go sit in front

279
00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:47,270
of a painting so like I said I got here

280
00:11:45,110 --> 00:11:49,730
really early okay and I just went and

281
00:11:47,270 --> 00:11:51,590
sat there's that ellipse the artist name

282
00:11:49,730 --> 00:11:53,380
and the main gallery I just sat there

283
00:11:51,590 --> 00:11:55,820
and I got to know one of those paintings

284
00:11:53,380 --> 00:11:57,620
and it was so lovely because how often

285
00:11:55,820 --> 00:11:59,390
do we go into a studio or into a gallery

286
00:11:57,620 --> 00:12:00,830
and we read about what the artist

287
00:11:59,390 --> 00:12:04,580
intended I never do that anymore I just

288
00:12:00,830 --> 00:12:07,220
go in and sit with the painting and was

289
00:12:04,580 --> 00:12:08,810
getting a little nervous yeah my friends

290
00:12:07,220 --> 00:12:10,970
from the shuttle bus had left me and I

291
00:12:08,810 --> 00:12:14,870
was getting a little nervous so I needed

292
00:12:10,970 --> 00:12:16,700
to calm myself down and the artwork just

293
00:12:14,870 --> 00:12:18,140
spoke to me obviously it was

294
00:12:16,700 --> 00:12:20,240
contemporary obviously it's very

295
00:12:18,140 --> 00:12:22,580
colorful so kind of right up my alley

296
00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,950
but getting back to this piece of art

297
00:12:22,580 --> 00:12:26,510
this piece of art is sort of a

298
00:12:24,950 --> 00:12:29,060
combination the first time I ever saw

299
00:12:26,510 --> 00:12:30,740
stickers used as art materials was at

300
00:12:29,060 --> 00:12:32,780
the MoMA training and I loved that idea

301
00:12:30,740 --> 00:12:34,160
of collaborative art we do a lot of

302
00:12:32,780 --> 00:12:35,840
collaborative art because the students

303
00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,920
that I work with are very similar to

304
00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,510
some of the people that you're going to

305
00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,920
be working with or that you do work with

306
00:12:38,510 --> 00:12:41,810
but I was at the Denver Art Museum

307
00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,520
Monday and usually when I'm at the

308
00:12:41,810 --> 00:12:44,810
Denver Art Museum or any of the museums

309
00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:46,730
in Denver is something about an

310
00:12:44,810 --> 00:12:48,620
accessibility question there's a

311
00:12:46,730 --> 00:12:50,630
question about a ramp or a bathroom or

312
00:12:48,620 --> 00:12:52,250
something like that in this particular

313
00:12:50,630 --> 00:12:54,170
day we had just slept the meeting and I

314
00:12:52,250 --> 00:12:56,450
was leaving and I ran into a friend of

315
00:12:54,170 --> 00:12:58,010
mine and said hey we have this artist

316
00:12:56,450 --> 00:13:00,260
here he's going to do a lecture he's a

317
00:12:58,010 --> 00:13:02,450
Tibetan artist that works with stickers

318
00:13:00,260 --> 00:13:04,760
so he's kind of got this Buddhist thing

319
00:13:02,450 --> 00:13:06,590
going on and he's kind of talking about

320
00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:08,150
stickers and I remember the moment thing

321
00:13:06,590 --> 00:13:10,040
I'm like okay who is this guy his name's

322
00:13:08,150 --> 00:13:12,260
gong cure Giotto

323
00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:14,000
and so I had a choice right then in

324
00:13:12,260 --> 00:13:15,890
there I had a choice I could go back to

325
00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:19,400
the office and work on a final report

326
00:13:15,890 --> 00:13:20,900
okay or I could go learn about Gong kya

327
00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:23,540
gyatsu all right

328
00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:25,160
so clearly some that was a no-brainer

329
00:13:23,540 --> 00:13:28,160
for me you know the final report

330
00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:29,810
eventually got done I think I helped but

331
00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,010
I went to this lecture from this

332
00:13:29,810 --> 00:13:32,750
Buddhist man from Tibet that I

333
00:13:31,010 --> 00:13:35,480
understood about every other word but

334
00:13:32,750 --> 00:13:38,030
his idea was that he was referencing pop

335
00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:40,400
art to stickers and stickers are a

336
00:13:38,030 --> 00:13:42,860
wonderfully accessible medium in a lot

337
00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:44,450
of different ways and I had an aha

338
00:13:42,860 --> 00:13:45,620
moment I'm like okay we always use the

339
00:13:44,450 --> 00:13:47,900
big stickers to talk about collaboration

340
00:13:45,620 --> 00:13:51,620
but what about little tiny stickers all

341
00:13:47,900 --> 00:13:54,340
right so this this piece of art is

342
00:13:51,620 --> 00:13:58,040
actually about this big and it's made of

343
00:13:54,340 --> 00:13:59,150
10,000 smiley face stickers made by a

344
00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:01,460
group of adults with developmental

345
00:13:59,150 --> 00:14:03,200
disabilities many of them who couldn't

346
00:14:01,460 --> 00:14:06,530
hold a paintbrush in the vast majority

347
00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:08,390
of them were nonverbal literally took us

348
00:14:06,530 --> 00:14:09,470
weeks and I asked one of our graffiti

349
00:14:08,390 --> 00:14:10,640
artists in a minute you're going to

350
00:14:09,470 --> 00:14:12,590
learn that I work a lot with graffiti

351
00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:15,290
artists I asked him to make us the

352
00:14:12,590 --> 00:14:17,060
smiley face so that's what I got and it

353
00:14:15,290 --> 00:14:18,380
kind of worked you know kind of worked

354
00:14:17,060 --> 00:14:20,120
the drips on all of that but that's

355
00:14:18,380 --> 00:14:23,570
10,000 smiley faces and that's really

356
00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:25,700
really how I feel today so thank you

357
00:14:23,570 --> 00:14:28,370
again for having me at the end I would

358
00:14:25,700 --> 00:14:30,530
love to entertain questions I do promise

359
00:14:28,370 --> 00:14:32,930
you that all of my stories do tie back

360
00:14:30,530 --> 00:14:36,320
to another and we will in fact talk

361
00:14:32,930 --> 00:14:39,110
about Alzheimer's dementia and art but

362
00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,430
thank you again for having me but before

363
00:14:39,110 --> 00:14:41,150
we get to all of that I really want to

364
00:14:40,430 --> 00:14:44,780
talk about something completely

365
00:14:41,150 --> 00:14:47,150
different coloring books I've had a very

366
00:14:44,780 --> 00:14:48,140
long and sordid relationship with

367
00:14:47,150 --> 00:14:49,700
coloring books okay

368
00:14:48,140 --> 00:14:52,550
started when I was very young I was in

369
00:14:49,700 --> 00:14:54,320
elementary school okay so imagine me six

370
00:14:52,550 --> 00:14:57,830
my left foot tall man is a little boy

371
00:14:54,320 --> 00:15:01,010
okay when I was very young I had a very

372
00:14:57,830 --> 00:15:03,650
significant speech impediment I couldn't

373
00:15:01,010 --> 00:15:05,150
say esses and it couldn't say ours and

374
00:15:03,650 --> 00:15:07,370
everyone so maltese would really throw

375
00:15:05,150 --> 00:15:09,230
me off - every Tuesday and Thursday

376
00:15:07,370 --> 00:15:11,830
afternoon I would go to speech therapy

377
00:15:09,230 --> 00:15:15,800
and I would learn to put my tongue

378
00:15:11,830 --> 00:15:17,480
behind my teeth and say s's and ours now

379
00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:19,550
when I get really tired I will still

380
00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,800
have a lisp and my daughter who's now 23

381
00:15:19,550 --> 00:15:23,260
years old working at a museum so maybe

382
00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,030
someday she'll be here

383
00:15:23,260 --> 00:15:28,900
she loves to tease me about that Oh Dan

384
00:15:25,030 --> 00:15:32,530
you have a list I said so he you don't

385
00:15:28,900 --> 00:15:34,750
have a car but necessary so I know how

386
00:15:32,530 --> 00:15:35,880
this works but every Tuesday and

387
00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:38,260
Thursday I would go to speech therapy

388
00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:40,120
but on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons

389
00:15:38,260 --> 00:15:42,460
is when the rest of my class got to go

390
00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,200
to art class so Tuesday and Thursday I'm

391
00:15:42,460 --> 00:15:47,470
going to learn how to state s's and ours

392
00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:49,810
oh and as an added bonus okay this is we

393
00:15:47,470 --> 00:15:52,600
moved to Colorado from Texas my father

394
00:15:49,810 --> 00:15:54,850
was from Baton Rouge Louisiana and my

395
00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:57,340
mother was from Memphis Tennessee so I

396
00:15:54,850 --> 00:15:59,140
had a lot going on okay not only did I

397
00:15:57,340 --> 00:16:01,870
have the whole list and the speech

398
00:15:59,140 --> 00:16:04,630
impediment I also had a really really

399
00:16:01,870 --> 00:16:06,550
deep Southern drawl so I was like cannon

400
00:16:04,630 --> 00:16:08,350
fodder for the bullies of the school so

401
00:16:06,550 --> 00:16:10,300
I learned very easily very quickly not

402
00:16:08,350 --> 00:16:12,310
to talk that was something that now

403
00:16:10,300 --> 00:16:14,800
philia knows that I've since got over

404
00:16:12,310 --> 00:16:16,780
that clearly I know I know it sounds a

405
00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,030
little ironic the public speaker not

406
00:16:16,780 --> 00:16:20,290
really wanting to talk but I kind of got

407
00:16:19,030 --> 00:16:21,850
over that and here's how I got over that

408
00:16:20,290 --> 00:16:23,890
so on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons

409
00:16:21,850 --> 00:16:26,020
my class would go to art class and I

410
00:16:23,890 --> 00:16:28,600
would go to speech therapy and one day

411
00:16:26,020 --> 00:16:31,420
the speech therapist was sick I got to

412
00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:33,280
go to art class I was excited you know

413
00:16:31,420 --> 00:16:35,140
speech therapy is pretty structured and

414
00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:37,570
by the end of this you'll realize just

415
00:16:35,140 --> 00:16:40,180
how entirely unstructured I am but I got

416
00:16:37,570 --> 00:16:42,310
to go to archive and that day I scored

417
00:16:40,180 --> 00:16:45,160
they had new coloring books and crayons

418
00:16:42,310 --> 00:16:47,140
for every one I do myself at that

419
00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:50,260
coloring booklet complete abandoned I

420
00:16:47,140 --> 00:16:52,810
mean I used all 64 colors at once I mean

421
00:16:50,260 --> 00:16:55,030
I was I was down with this I was really

422
00:16:52,810 --> 00:16:56,140
proud of myself I finished first and I

423
00:16:55,030 --> 00:16:57,820
really think that that was the only time

424
00:16:56,140 --> 00:17:00,280
in my entire life I finished first in my

425
00:16:57,820 --> 00:17:02,920
class at anything so I ran up to the

426
00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:04,060
teacher and I showed her my my my

427
00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,950
drawing of the crayons

428
00:17:04,060 --> 00:17:07,660
what said look all of these crayons all

429
00:17:05,950 --> 00:17:09,370
of these colors I thought she was going

430
00:17:07,660 --> 00:17:12,070
to be impressed I thought she was really

431
00:17:09,370 --> 00:17:13,960
going to be happy for me good job team

432
00:17:12,070 --> 00:17:16,710
at least give a smiley face on my name

433
00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:18,640
you know that's not the reaction I got

434
00:17:16,710 --> 00:17:20,710
it's a lot of you are already shaking

435
00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,940
your head did you know what's coming all

436
00:17:20,710 --> 00:17:23,980
right Damon you didn't stay within the

437
00:17:21,940 --> 00:17:28,690
lines right okay I didn't stay within

438
00:17:23,980 --> 00:17:29,230
the lines your desk is a mess go clean

439
00:17:28,690 --> 00:17:32,020
it up

440
00:17:29,230 --> 00:17:34,660
that is crestfallen I really really want

441
00:17:32,020 --> 00:17:36,250
that was like dude really I didn't get

442
00:17:34,660 --> 00:17:37,059
the memo about the lines I really I

443
00:17:36,250 --> 00:17:38,889
promise

444
00:17:37,059 --> 00:17:40,570
but right then and there as a child I

445
00:17:38,889 --> 00:17:43,419
decided I wasn't creative

446
00:17:40,570 --> 00:17:45,070
I wasn't creative I wasn't artistic

447
00:17:43,419 --> 00:17:47,110
creativity and artistry were for people

448
00:17:45,070 --> 00:17:51,279
who could stay within the lines and I

449
00:17:47,110 --> 00:17:52,480
told myself that nearly forty years so I

450
00:17:51,279 --> 00:17:54,909
went back to speech therapy and I

451
00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:57,759
learned how to say s and R they learned

452
00:17:54,909 --> 00:17:59,799
how to not talk I spent a lot of time as

453
00:17:57,759 --> 00:18:02,529
a child in museums because I found that

454
00:17:59,799 --> 00:18:04,090
that was my classroom I could self

455
00:18:02,529 --> 00:18:05,740
direct myself in the museum and I had a

456
00:18:04,090 --> 00:18:07,269
friend who happened to live closer to

457
00:18:05,740 --> 00:18:09,909
the museum so I did really spend a lot

458
00:18:07,269 --> 00:18:12,820
of time in museums but as time went on

459
00:18:09,909 --> 00:18:16,029
and now of course looking back as an

460
00:18:12,820 --> 00:18:18,549
adult male I can tell you that she was

461
00:18:16,029 --> 00:18:19,720
wrong the assignment had nothing to do

462
00:18:18,549 --> 00:18:22,779
with creativity it had to do with

463
00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:25,299
conformity okay and in this country I do

464
00:18:22,779 --> 00:18:27,309
believe we very often at every age

465
00:18:25,299 --> 00:18:29,559
whether you're in preschool or you're a

466
00:18:27,309 --> 00:18:31,860
person with Alzheimer's or dementia I

467
00:18:29,559 --> 00:18:34,720
believe that we very often confuse

468
00:18:31,860 --> 00:18:37,600
conformity with creativity and then

469
00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:40,539
again creativity with artistry so I'm

470
00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:42,279
convinced that I'm not creative okay I

471
00:18:40,539 --> 00:18:44,139
did get into the disability field

472
00:18:42,279 --> 00:18:45,730
through camping and recreation programs

473
00:18:44,139 --> 00:18:47,679
and I've worked around people with

474
00:18:45,730 --> 00:18:50,019
disabilities literally for 40 years my

475
00:18:47,679 --> 00:18:51,309
first job was a camp counselor for a kid

476
00:18:50,019 --> 00:18:53,529
with in a wheelchair at muscular

477
00:18:51,309 --> 00:18:55,720
dystrophy camp and really they took me

478
00:18:53,529 --> 00:18:58,299
on as a 14 year old kid because I was

479
00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:00,639
big and strong my entire job was to pick

480
00:18:58,299 --> 00:19:03,009
him up and put him down but but I made

481
00:19:00,639 --> 00:19:04,779
lasting friendships at that camp but I

482
00:19:03,009 --> 00:19:06,460
moved throughout my entire life thinking

483
00:19:04,779 --> 00:19:09,309
that creativity and artistry were for

484
00:19:06,460 --> 00:19:11,289
other people but I was always drawn like

485
00:19:09,309 --> 00:19:14,169
a moth to a flame to anything creative I

486
00:19:11,289 --> 00:19:18,639
married a dancer all right I married a

487
00:19:14,169 --> 00:19:21,070
woman who has oh she's so creative and I

488
00:19:18,639 --> 00:19:22,600
ended up running an Arts Center for

489
00:19:21,070 --> 00:19:23,950
people with disabilities okay now think

490
00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,179
about that for a second that was there

491
00:19:23,950 --> 00:19:28,360
are you an artist

492
00:19:25,179 --> 00:19:29,590
we'd had those before you no no no I'm

493
00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:32,350
not an artist don't have a creative bone

494
00:19:29,590 --> 00:19:33,789
in my body I find myself running this

495
00:19:32,350 --> 00:19:35,139
art center for young people with

496
00:19:33,789 --> 00:19:38,080
disabilities and we're really all about

497
00:19:35,139 --> 00:19:41,230
education I really really thought wow

498
00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:43,749
this is great we take our students to

499
00:19:41,230 --> 00:19:45,399
museums we get to interrupt things that

500
00:19:43,749 --> 00:19:48,159
are going on there that's kind of fun

501
00:19:45,399 --> 00:19:49,980
you know and then a few years ago we

502
00:19:48,159 --> 00:19:53,100
started the program summer job program

503
00:19:49,980 --> 00:19:54,870
and a big part of what we do is work

504
00:19:53,100 --> 00:19:57,899
with students who are transitioning from

505
00:19:54,870 --> 00:20:00,769
high school we worked a lot with

506
00:19:57,899 --> 00:20:00,769
students like Nicole

507
00:20:01,159 --> 00:20:06,120
so the Cole is 26 years old I think 25

508
00:20:05,130 --> 00:20:07,620
26 years old

509
00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:10,799
alright she's been with us for about

510
00:20:07,620 --> 00:20:12,419
eight years and I realize that eight

511
00:20:10,799 --> 00:20:15,330
years is a long time to be in the job

512
00:20:12,419 --> 00:20:17,940
readiness program okay she turned 21

513
00:20:15,330 --> 00:20:20,490
she cycled out of the school and she had

514
00:20:17,940 --> 00:20:22,740
nowhere else to go so she kept coming to

515
00:20:20,490 --> 00:20:24,720
the gallery and we kind of really kind

516
00:20:22,740 --> 00:20:26,100
of had to make room for her she likes to

517
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:28,380
sit at the same place every single day

518
00:20:26,100 --> 00:20:32,970
and the thing about Nicole is is she has

519
00:20:28,380 --> 00:20:34,620
a singular passion she loves absolutely

520
00:20:32,970 --> 00:20:36,690
loves to paint dragons

521
00:20:34,620 --> 00:20:39,480
she'll paint dragons and dinosaurs all

522
00:20:36,690 --> 00:20:42,269
day every day literally at about the

523
00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:43,289
rate of one dinosaur per day so I would

524
00:20:42,269 --> 00:20:44,909
get to the point I can tell you as a

525
00:20:43,289 --> 00:20:48,450
gallery manager there's not a huge

526
00:20:44,909 --> 00:20:50,610
demand for dragon paintings this is not

527
00:20:48,450 --> 00:20:52,019
so at the end of the week we would

528
00:20:50,610 --> 00:20:53,490
sometimes take these paintings out back

529
00:20:52,019 --> 00:20:56,880
and we would literally prime over them

530
00:20:53,490 --> 00:21:00,210
so she would have a new set for the next

531
00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:02,970
week okay one day she came up to me this

532
00:21:00,210 --> 00:21:05,610
is held Nicole Damon Damon look at my

533
00:21:02,970 --> 00:21:07,320
dragon and you look at the dragon and

534
00:21:05,610 --> 00:21:09,120
I'm like okay that's a great drivin tree

535
00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,590
really great dragon is pink and blue and

536
00:21:09,120 --> 00:21:11,600
I just thought it was I really thought

537
00:21:10,590 --> 00:21:15,090
it was magical

538
00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:18,570
and I thinking to myself I need to get

539
00:21:15,090 --> 00:21:20,250
more primer with this because you know

540
00:21:18,570 --> 00:21:21,360
it's like okay we're running out of

541
00:21:20,250 --> 00:21:22,919
canvas we have to do this but then I

542
00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:24,870
looked at that dragon again and I said

543
00:21:22,919 --> 00:21:26,490
you know the castle looked like the

544
00:21:24,870 --> 00:21:29,100
Denver Art Museum has anyone ever been

545
00:21:26,490 --> 00:21:31,830
to Denver nor one of our museums looks

546
00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:33,779
like a castle and I'm like lightbulb now

547
00:21:31,830 --> 00:21:35,250
I have a lot of lightbulb movements but

548
00:21:33,779 --> 00:21:37,529
when I have them they're pretty pretty

549
00:21:35,250 --> 00:21:38,880
profound the next week we gave her a

550
00:21:37,529 --> 00:21:40,789
picture of the Denver Art Museum and I

551
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:45,299
said paint the dragon in front of that

552
00:21:40,789 --> 00:21:46,440
and she did and we sold it then she

553
00:21:45,299 --> 00:21:49,500
panted London from the Denver

554
00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,630
International Airport we sold that that

555
00:21:49,500 --> 00:21:53,700
bad boy as well that you did the whole

556
00:21:51,630 --> 00:21:56,340
series of dragons eating literally I

557
00:21:53,700 --> 00:21:59,190
think actually this particular painting

558
00:21:56,340 --> 00:22:00,840
those are two dragons eating a

559
00:21:59,190 --> 00:22:03,059
restaurant in Denver called Casa Bonita

560
00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,820
it is like I mean they're literally

561
00:22:03,059 --> 00:22:05,530
eating them at

562
00:22:03,820 --> 00:22:09,310
it's the worst Mexican food you will

563
00:22:05,530 --> 00:22:10,570
ever eat in your life but if for some

564
00:22:09,310 --> 00:22:12,610
reason is very popular in Denver and

565
00:22:10,570 --> 00:22:14,890
she's sold like five or six of these so

566
00:22:12,610 --> 00:22:17,530
all of a sudden this girl who we work

567
00:22:14,890 --> 00:22:20,770
with is starting to sell some of her

568
00:22:17,530 --> 00:22:22,450
paintings and one of the things that

569
00:22:20,770 --> 00:22:24,130
we've realized along the way is our

570
00:22:22,450 --> 00:22:25,990
demographic got older we went from like

571
00:22:24,130 --> 00:22:28,420
middle school and early high school to

572
00:22:25,990 --> 00:22:30,160
this transition age to young adults and

573
00:22:28,420 --> 00:22:31,080
now some of our young adults are not so

574
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:34,810
young anymore

575
00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:38,650
but the thing is is they're all facing a

576
00:22:34,810 --> 00:22:40,810
70 percent unemployment rate 70 percent

577
00:22:38,650 --> 00:22:43,780
Nicole will never have a traditional job

578
00:22:40,810 --> 00:22:46,030
her job prospects are nil there is not a

579
00:22:43,780 --> 00:22:49,510
huge demand for encyclopedic knowledge

580
00:22:46,030 --> 00:22:51,910
of dragons and emotional meltdown so you

581
00:22:49,510 --> 00:22:54,550
just can't put that on no matter how you

582
00:22:51,910 --> 00:22:55,450
state that on a resume it doesn't it

583
00:22:54,550 --> 00:22:58,270
just doesn't work

584
00:22:55,450 --> 00:23:00,400
but we found a way for Nicole to make

585
00:22:58,270 --> 00:23:03,100
some money the most of our student

586
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:06,220
students are a little bit more like

587
00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:09,310
Allan so Allan is the happiest go

588
00:23:06,220 --> 00:23:12,160
luckiest just gentle soul you will ever

589
00:23:09,310 --> 00:23:14,110
meet this kid comes in he wants to

590
00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,210
please he's eager to work he will do

591
00:23:14,110 --> 00:23:17,800
pretty much whatever you want and he was

592
00:23:16,210 --> 00:23:19,900
in one of our summer job readiness

593
00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:21,640
programs and that's a 70 percent

594
00:23:19,900 --> 00:23:22,960
unemployment way you would think we

595
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:26,290
really don't have anywhere to go but up

596
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:27,970
right 70 percent unemployment you hire

597
00:23:26,290 --> 00:23:30,730
one kid you're making a difference not

598
00:23:27,970 --> 00:23:32,950
so much I mean this is just staggering

599
00:23:30,730 --> 00:23:34,570
to me how hard it is for somebody with a

600
00:23:32,950 --> 00:23:38,020
disability to earn money in this country

601
00:23:34,570 --> 00:23:40,030
last winter Allan came to us he was very

602
00:23:38,020 --> 00:23:42,840
excited this was several months after

603
00:23:40,030 --> 00:23:44,770
the job that summer program he got a job

604
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,480
alright so everybody was doing that

605
00:23:44,770 --> 00:23:48,820
Allan got a job dance they were very

606
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,810
happy for Allan I was very happy for

607
00:23:48,820 --> 00:23:51,250
Allan but I was in the back of the

608
00:23:49,810 --> 00:23:52,000
studio watching this you know Allan was

609
00:23:51,250 --> 00:23:55,210
a king for a day

610
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,500
Allan got a job everything that we had

611
00:23:55,210 --> 00:23:58,840
told him he worked hard to be on time

612
00:23:56,500 --> 00:23:59,770
you show up you dress appropriately all

613
00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,300
of this will pay off

614
00:23:59,770 --> 00:24:02,800
you just keep hanging in there hanging

615
00:24:01,300 --> 00:24:06,100
in there hanging in there and I'm at the

616
00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:09,640
back of the gallery saying to myself wow

617
00:24:06,100 --> 00:24:11,900
my heart's breaking a little bit because

618
00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:15,500
the job that Allan got

619
00:24:11,900 --> 00:24:18,260
was pushing carts at Walmart alright

620
00:24:15,500 --> 00:24:20,720
this is a kid that is so social and so

621
00:24:18,260 --> 00:24:22,970
eager to please and he got a job pushing

622
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:25,520
carts at Walmart for the holidays okay

623
00:24:22,970 --> 00:24:27,230
the worst possible job for a kid who

624
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:30,050
really doesn't see all that well to be

625
00:24:27,230 --> 00:24:33,260
pushing carts in a frozen parking lot at

626
00:24:30,050 --> 00:24:36,260
night and I realized you know what we're

627
00:24:33,260 --> 00:24:38,600
kind of in a way I was becoming my own

628
00:24:36,260 --> 00:24:39,800
mrs. Nelson I'm working with these

629
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:42,200
students trying to get them to stay

630
00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:44,000
within the lines of society if they

631
00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,020
could stay within the lines that society

632
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:48,170
was putting down they wouldn't have been

633
00:24:45,020 --> 00:24:48,980
with me in the first place right so

634
00:24:48,170 --> 00:24:50,600
right then and there I got a little

635
00:24:48,980 --> 00:24:53,960
pissed off and when I get help I got a

636
00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:55,790
little angry sorry I got a little angry

637
00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:58,970
and I realized you know what I'm not

638
00:24:55,790 --> 00:25:00,560
going to do this anymore I'm not going

639
00:24:58,970 --> 00:25:01,700
to get these guys ready for jobs that

640
00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,370
don't exist I'm gonna start making

641
00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:06,110
employees and start making jobs so we

642
00:25:04,370 --> 00:25:07,850
really started shifting almost

643
00:25:06,110 --> 00:25:11,720
everything that we do from that point

644
00:25:07,850 --> 00:25:15,050
forward became about economic

645
00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:16,370
opportunity we started with an artem at

646
00:25:15,050 --> 00:25:16,940
machine anybody know what an automat

647
00:25:16,370 --> 00:25:20,200
machine is

648
00:25:16,940 --> 00:25:20,200
what's an artem at machine

649
00:25:23,549 --> 00:25:26,130
exactly

650
00:25:24,419 --> 00:25:27,840
so we got a card on that machine and we

651
00:25:26,130 --> 00:25:28,950
hired our kids to make artwork for the

652
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,720
art amount and she I put you on the spot

653
00:25:28,950 --> 00:25:33,900
I'm so sorry I hope that's okay would

654
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,919
you raise your hand I'm like okay so we

655
00:25:33,900 --> 00:25:36,179
got an art on that machine and we

656
00:25:34,919 --> 00:25:37,919
started paying our kids to make artwork

657
00:25:36,179 --> 00:25:39,030
for the art amount machine and then we

658
00:25:37,919 --> 00:25:41,400
started training them how to paint

659
00:25:39,030 --> 00:25:43,740
portraits of people's pets then we

660
00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:46,380
started going into what is my personal

661
00:25:43,740 --> 00:25:49,080
favorite we started hiring them to make

662
00:25:46,380 --> 00:25:51,750
artwork for corporations I was so

663
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:54,299
determined to get money in their pocket

664
00:25:51,750 --> 00:25:55,770
so I started going to corporations we

665
00:25:54,299 --> 00:25:57,720
can make this artwork for your boardroom

666
00:25:55,770 --> 00:25:59,309
we can make it for your Lobby I will

667
00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,070
make artwork for your bathroom I really

668
00:25:59,309 --> 00:26:03,870
don't care to give our kids a chance and

669
00:26:01,070 --> 00:26:06,720
we hired professional artists so the guy

670
00:26:03,870 --> 00:26:07,980
in the middle is not a student okay he's

671
00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,480
one of the best con artists in Denver

672
00:26:07,980 --> 00:26:11,309
and he worked with the team of artists

673
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:14,100
and we've done fifty commissions for

674
00:26:11,309 --> 00:26:15,659
corporations this little program has now

675
00:26:14,100 --> 00:26:18,409
started to employ some of our students

676
00:26:15,659 --> 00:26:20,880
that weren't employable including Allen

677
00:26:18,409 --> 00:26:23,789
did I mention that Allen happens to love

678
00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:25,169
the Denver Broncos he let me everyone in

679
00:26:23,789 --> 00:26:28,080
Denver loves the Broncos but Allen

680
00:26:25,169 --> 00:26:29,909
really really loved it in the Broncos so

681
00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,230
he would want to come in and work on the

682
00:26:29,909 --> 00:26:31,620
artwork and talk about the Denver

683
00:26:31,230 --> 00:26:33,780
Broncos

684
00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:36,030
Denver Broncos Denver okay we get it

685
00:26:33,780 --> 00:26:37,710
didn't ever mark us but so we're making

686
00:26:36,030 --> 00:26:39,659
this artwork for corporations we're

687
00:26:37,710 --> 00:26:41,250
starting to see some real success so

688
00:26:39,659 --> 00:26:43,620
about the time that Alan got laid off in

689
00:26:41,250 --> 00:26:45,480
the cold started selling her paintings

690
00:26:43,620 --> 00:26:47,510
we really shifted the culture of our

691
00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:50,520
organization it really became about

692
00:26:47,510 --> 00:26:51,750
direct employment for our students and I

693
00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,610
do promise you I'm gonna get back around

694
00:26:51,750 --> 00:26:55,350
to the point of Alzheimer's it's coming

695
00:26:53,610 --> 00:26:57,510
really quickly but I want to set the

696
00:26:55,350 --> 00:26:59,909
tone about how we work we are a very

697
00:26:57,510 --> 00:27:02,370
tiny tiny little nonprofit organization

698
00:26:59,909 --> 00:27:04,950
I can change we can change directions on

699
00:27:02,370 --> 00:27:07,559
a dime we can make things happen very

700
00:27:04,950 --> 00:27:09,510
very quickly whereas larger institutions

701
00:27:07,559 --> 00:27:10,980
take a little bit more time to to change

702
00:27:09,510 --> 00:27:13,559
direction so we're changing directions

703
00:27:10,980 --> 00:27:16,650
I'm really feeling like we found our

704
00:27:13,559 --> 00:27:20,100
group you know that sort of 18 to 26

705
00:27:16,650 --> 00:27:22,200
well however old Nicole is now age range

706
00:27:20,100 --> 00:27:24,450
it's really sort of our sweet spot we're

707
00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:26,659
finding a lot of success and one of the

708
00:27:24,450 --> 00:27:29,490
things when you run an urban art center

709
00:27:26,659 --> 00:27:32,190
you learn a lot about graffiti all right

710
00:27:29,490 --> 00:27:33,840
we work a lot with graffiti art some of

711
00:27:32,190 --> 00:27:34,280
our teaching artists for these types of

712
00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:36,530
program

713
00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:39,550
our graffiti artists from the

714
00:27:36,530 --> 00:27:42,530
neighborhood we're in a very very urban

715
00:27:39,550 --> 00:27:44,630
environment okay so we're doing murals

716
00:27:42,530 --> 00:27:46,280
we're getting paid to do mural so we're

717
00:27:44,630 --> 00:27:47,210
doing ardha mats we're doing pet

718
00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,890
portraits are doing corporate

719
00:27:47,210 --> 00:27:51,080
commissions we're selling more art for

720
00:27:48,890 --> 00:27:54,140
Nicole through the gallery everything is

721
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:57,230
moving along swimmingly then something

722
00:27:54,140 --> 00:28:00,440
happens this is where it gets a little

723
00:27:57,230 --> 00:28:02,240
personal but bear with me soldier I had

724
00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:04,730
gone to MoMA just because I could go to

725
00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:06,080
moment you know I really no offense but

726
00:28:04,730 --> 00:28:07,340
I really didn't have that much interest

727
00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:10,040
when I went to the moment right

728
00:28:07,340 --> 00:28:11,900
I was just twelve to go to New York I'm

729
00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,400
always interested in or anything so I

730
00:28:11,900 --> 00:28:14,600
don't want to make it sound like I just

731
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:17,870
wanted to go on a trip but I wanted to

732
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:19,580
go on a trip all right but I learned so

733
00:28:17,870 --> 00:28:21,410
much from that event but about the time

734
00:28:19,580 --> 00:28:23,240
that all of this really started clicking

735
00:28:21,410 --> 00:28:24,770
for the organization and I'm working

736
00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,630
with an age range that I'm really

737
00:28:24,770 --> 00:28:28,180
comfortable with I'm working with some

738
00:28:26,630 --> 00:28:34,220
of the best-known artists in Denver I

739
00:28:28,180 --> 00:28:36,380
got a call it was um right about the day

740
00:28:34,220 --> 00:28:38,600
of daylight savings times don't you hate

741
00:28:36,380 --> 00:28:40,130
that day when it changes did you know

742
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:42,050
that there was more accidents on that

743
00:28:40,130 --> 00:28:44,210
particular day in the spring than any

744
00:28:42,050 --> 00:28:45,470
other time of the year well I got a call

745
00:28:44,210 --> 00:28:48,860
that day that my mom had fallen and

746
00:28:45,470 --> 00:28:50,930
broken her hip and she was by that time

747
00:28:48,860 --> 00:28:52,610
she was living in pretty independently

748
00:28:50,930 --> 00:28:53,780
she was in an assisted living center but

749
00:28:52,610 --> 00:28:55,550
she was still living pretty

750
00:28:53,780 --> 00:28:59,510
independently and I got to the hospital

751
00:28:55,550 --> 00:29:01,340
and the doctors tell me she had a 50/50

752
00:28:59,510 --> 00:29:04,780
chance of making it a year they had to

753
00:29:01,340 --> 00:29:08,480
replace her hip to 90 years old

754
00:29:04,780 --> 00:29:11,000
50-50 chance of making it a year and I

755
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:15,020
went from being the son that was seldom

756
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:17,260
seen to her primary caregiver her

757
00:29:15,020 --> 00:29:20,210
decision maker and her power of attorney

758
00:29:17,260 --> 00:29:22,550
overnight in the course of the month she

759
00:29:20,210 --> 00:29:24,800
went from living in her own apartment to

760
00:29:22,550 --> 00:29:27,260
the rehab center to the hospital

761
00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:31,730
and then eventually to the nursing house

762
00:29:27,260 --> 00:29:33,230
and she hated the nursing home but in

763
00:29:31,730 --> 00:29:36,050
addition to the broken hip and all the

764
00:29:33,230 --> 00:29:38,300
other myriad health concerns that you

765
00:29:36,050 --> 00:29:41,060
have as a nine-year-old woman she also

766
00:29:38,300 --> 00:29:43,070
had Alzheimer's and dementia and so this

767
00:29:41,060 --> 00:29:45,080
is where I was really glad I went to

768
00:29:43,070 --> 00:29:46,490
MoMA because I started remembering some

769
00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,510
of the things that I had learned but not

770
00:29:46,490 --> 00:29:50,360
really quick enough

771
00:29:47,510 --> 00:29:53,150
as it turns out you see when you become

772
00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:55,070
the caregiver okay this is not

773
00:29:53,150 --> 00:29:58,100
theoretical for me this is personal this

774
00:29:55,070 --> 00:29:59,630
is where everything kind of came

775
00:29:58,100 --> 00:30:00,850
together for me when you're the

776
00:29:59,630 --> 00:30:04,670
caregiver of somebody with Alzheimer's

777
00:30:00,850 --> 00:30:08,840
you really truly never know what you're

778
00:30:04,670 --> 00:30:11,960
going to get from day to day I became an

779
00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:13,970
extension of her medical team I was

780
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:15,800
dealing with the doctors I was dealing

781
00:30:13,970 --> 00:30:17,420
with the lawyers I was dealing with the

782
00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:20,210
estate I still have an apartment to

783
00:30:17,420 --> 00:30:22,910
clear out because she wasn't coming back

784
00:30:20,210 --> 00:30:25,310
you don't come back from 90 years old

785
00:30:22,910 --> 00:30:26,810
with a broken head and it turns out the

786
00:30:25,310 --> 00:30:28,250
doctors they told me she had a 50-50

787
00:30:26,810 --> 00:30:30,470
chance of making of the year she made it

788
00:30:28,250 --> 00:30:35,570
almost six months to the day from the

789
00:30:30,470 --> 00:30:37,610
day she fell when you're that person and

790
00:30:35,570 --> 00:30:40,640
I I'll be completely honest I did not

791
00:30:37,610 --> 00:30:42,530
want to be that person but there was

792
00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:45,110
nobody else so I became all of these

793
00:30:42,530 --> 00:30:47,120
things that I suck at I became an

794
00:30:45,110 --> 00:30:50,420
administrator for my mother and I am NOT

795
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:52,580
a good administrator but then I realized

796
00:30:50,420 --> 00:30:54,290
that no matter what you do fighting with

797
00:30:52,580 --> 00:30:57,620
the insurance company getting to the

798
00:30:54,290 --> 00:31:01,100
doctor on time finding the checkbook you

799
00:30:57,620 --> 00:31:03,200
know finding the socks that none of that

800
00:31:01,100 --> 00:31:05,600
matters because this disease doesn't

801
00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:07,520
care you know I was trying to be the

802
00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,780
good son and do the right thing take

803
00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:11,510
care of mom that's what you do you take

804
00:31:08,780 --> 00:31:14,090
care of mom and all I was doing was

805
00:31:11,510 --> 00:31:16,310
dealing with all of this bureaucracy and

806
00:31:14,090 --> 00:31:18,860
all of this stuff and I remember this I

807
00:31:16,310 --> 00:31:19,970
this is one of the most vivid memories I

808
00:31:18,860 --> 00:31:23,240
have of my entire life

809
00:31:19,970 --> 00:31:25,100
one day the nursing home called the

810
00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:28,040
nursing home calls no matter what you're

811
00:31:25,100 --> 00:31:30,340
doing you're going right so I'm like

812
00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:34,700
okay so I go down to the nursing home I

813
00:31:30,340 --> 00:31:36,020
find out whatever crisis it was I don't

814
00:31:34,700 --> 00:31:38,000
remember what the crisis was but I

815
00:31:36,020 --> 00:31:40,550
remember after I dealt with whatever the

816
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:42,590
crisis was it usually involved laundry I

817
00:31:40,550 --> 00:31:43,730
don't know why this particular time

818
00:31:42,590 --> 00:31:45,980
there was something about the laundry

819
00:31:43,730 --> 00:31:49,010
that in that particular facility really

820
00:31:45,980 --> 00:31:51,140
didn't work very well but I went in to

821
00:31:49,010 --> 00:31:52,760
see her and I sat down with her and I

822
00:31:51,140 --> 00:31:55,010
was made a point just to hold her hand

823
00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:56,660
because when you're holding your frail

824
00:31:55,010 --> 00:31:57,860
and you're in the nursing home the only

825
00:31:56,660 --> 00:32:00,170
people that ever touch you are people

826
00:31:57,860 --> 00:32:01,100
that are doing something to you all

827
00:32:00,170 --> 00:32:02,240
right it's not doing some

828
00:32:01,100 --> 00:32:04,280
for you they're doing something to you

829
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,480
they're helping you do something so I

830
00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:08,090
held her hand I looked at her and I said

831
00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:10,700
mama can't stay today I have to get back

832
00:32:08,090 --> 00:32:12,230
to the gallery we had a group of

833
00:32:10,700 --> 00:32:14,299
students doing a mural on the side of

834
00:32:12,230 --> 00:32:15,440
the building and I wanted to be back

835
00:32:14,299 --> 00:32:16,940
then I told her you know what we have a

836
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,620
group of students doing the mural and I

837
00:32:16,940 --> 00:32:22,250
want to be there in case the police show

838
00:32:18,620 --> 00:32:24,890
up think about that all right because

839
00:32:22,250 --> 00:32:27,110
graffiti is still we had permission we

840
00:32:24,890 --> 00:32:28,460
had the letter but you know what I am

841
00:32:27,110 --> 00:32:29,720
still dealing with graffiti artists so

842
00:32:28,460 --> 00:32:31,309
I'm not going to let them deal with the

843
00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:32,900
police so I wanted to be there in case

844
00:32:31,309 --> 00:32:36,559
the police showed up and she looked at

845
00:32:32,900 --> 00:32:38,870
me and she said you know what I really

846
00:32:36,559 --> 00:32:40,490
wish I could come with you I'm so sick

847
00:32:38,870 --> 00:32:44,210
of doing coloring books I could just

848
00:32:40,490 --> 00:32:46,820
spit and for my mom to say she could

849
00:32:44,210 --> 00:32:48,890
just spit that's a pretty big deal but I

850
00:32:46,820 --> 00:32:50,539
had dawned on me that the coloring but

851
00:32:48,890 --> 00:32:52,850
she was talking about weren't the cool

852
00:32:50,539 --> 00:32:55,250
coloring books from Barnes & Noble her

853
00:32:52,850 --> 00:32:57,890
only creative outlet at that time with

854
00:32:55,250 --> 00:33:01,309
children's coloring books that really

855
00:32:57,890 --> 00:33:03,110
really pissed me off and I realized you

856
00:33:01,309 --> 00:33:04,820
know we spend millions and millions of

857
00:33:03,110 --> 00:33:10,220
dollars trying to take care of people at

858
00:33:04,820 --> 00:33:12,679
the final days of life and this is the

859
00:33:10,220 --> 00:33:14,510
best that we could do and that really

860
00:33:12,679 --> 00:33:15,950
really bothered me and I got back to the

861
00:33:14,510 --> 00:33:17,270
gallery and it still bothered me and it

862
00:33:15,950 --> 00:33:19,730
bothered me a couple weeks later when

863
00:33:17,270 --> 00:33:20,750
she finally did pass she made it about

864
00:33:19,730 --> 00:33:21,980
another two weeks after that

865
00:33:20,750 --> 00:33:24,919
conversation that was one of the last

866
00:33:21,980 --> 00:33:26,179
coherent conversations we had one of the

867
00:33:24,919 --> 00:33:28,490
last times I saw her she didn't

868
00:33:26,179 --> 00:33:33,049
recognize me so the other thing about

869
00:33:28,490 --> 00:33:35,240
Alzheimer's and dementia is crisis can

870
00:33:33,049 --> 00:33:37,640
accelerate it and I don't know if that's

871
00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:39,710
been anyone else's experience but she

872
00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:44,240
went downhill fast it wasn't even a hill

873
00:33:39,710 --> 00:33:46,190
it was a cliff and it was um when she

874
00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:48,500
did pastillas it was a really I'll be

875
00:33:46,190 --> 00:33:49,789
honest say whether were these there was

876
00:33:48,500 --> 00:33:51,440
she didn't want to live anymore there

877
00:33:49,789 --> 00:33:52,820
was nothing left that anybody could say

878
00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:53,750
or do we hadn't had a meaningful

879
00:33:52,820 --> 00:33:54,950
conversation

880
00:33:53,750 --> 00:33:56,720
other than the coloring book

881
00:33:54,950 --> 00:33:58,520
conversation the coloring book thing

882
00:33:56,720 --> 00:34:00,530
just keeps coming back out but other

883
00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:02,990
than that conversation it had been a

884
00:34:00,530 --> 00:34:05,780
long time since we had had a meaningful

885
00:34:02,990 --> 00:34:08,960
dialogue and then one day I got to

886
00:34:05,780 --> 00:34:13,260
thinking about it and I realized you

887
00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:16,290
know maybe it wasn't the coloring book

888
00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:19,440
maybe she really was interested in the

889
00:34:16,290 --> 00:34:22,379
graffiti maybe she still had a little

890
00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:25,200
rebellious streak left in her you know

891
00:34:22,379 --> 00:34:29,570
maybe she did I don't know um by this

892
00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:32,339
time we had gotten pretty good at making

893
00:34:29,570 --> 00:34:34,349
murals the mural that I was in such a

894
00:34:32,339 --> 00:34:36,540
hurry to give back that day has become

895
00:34:34,349 --> 00:34:39,089
one of the most photographed murals in

896
00:34:36,540 --> 00:34:41,220
Denver we got paid to do it we were

897
00:34:39,089 --> 00:34:42,720
really sort of moving on it and I got

898
00:34:41,220 --> 00:34:45,300
back in and the artist for the right

899
00:34:42,720 --> 00:34:46,829
with the sunglasses detains rata sok

900
00:34:45,300 --> 00:34:49,740
he's one of the best-known muralist in

901
00:34:46,829 --> 00:34:51,389
Denver and a couple weeks after that

902
00:34:49,740 --> 00:34:52,800
after my mom had passed I was still

903
00:34:51,389 --> 00:34:53,909
thinking about this and I asked him I

904
00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:57,720
said would you be interested in doing

905
00:34:53,909 --> 00:35:00,030
graffiti with people with Alzheimer's he

906
00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:02,490
didn't hesitate yeah I would love to do

907
00:35:00,030 --> 00:35:03,690
that when do we start and if you think

908
00:35:02,490 --> 00:35:06,329
about it people with Alzheimer's and

909
00:35:03,690 --> 00:35:08,820
people who do graffiti actually have

910
00:35:06,329 --> 00:35:12,270
quite a bit in common right the

911
00:35:08,820 --> 00:35:14,849
misunderstood they have stereotypes put

912
00:35:12,270 --> 00:35:17,579
upon them by society not by their own

913
00:35:14,849 --> 00:35:19,579
making and at the end of the day they

914
00:35:17,579 --> 00:35:22,470
really really just want to be remembered

915
00:35:19,579 --> 00:35:25,770
right they want to leave their mark on

916
00:35:22,470 --> 00:35:29,040
this world so he said yeah I'd be happy

917
00:35:25,770 --> 00:35:31,410
to do that when do we start full

918
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:34,859
disclosure this is a kid that had them

919
00:35:31,410 --> 00:35:36,750
in fact arrested he had had many maybe

920
00:35:34,859 --> 00:35:39,450
not many he'd had a few run-ins with the

921
00:35:36,750 --> 00:35:41,430
police and this was how he was making

922
00:35:39,450 --> 00:35:42,930
his mark on the world now as he had left

923
00:35:41,430 --> 00:35:45,210
the illegal tagging behind and he was

924
00:35:42,930 --> 00:35:47,730
working for us teaching people how to do

925
00:35:45,210 --> 00:35:49,859
graffiti so he was game he was ready to

926
00:35:47,730 --> 00:35:53,910
go and then I thought about it really

927
00:35:49,859 --> 00:35:55,740
what is what is the connection here

928
00:35:53,910 --> 00:35:57,810
because really I don't think it was the

929
00:35:55,740 --> 00:35:59,099
coloring book I think yeah she would

930
00:35:57,810 --> 00:36:00,210
have done anything to get out of the

931
00:35:59,099 --> 00:36:02,250
nursing home that day but I really

932
00:36:00,210 --> 00:36:05,400
wonder if it was something left to do

933
00:36:02,250 --> 00:36:06,119
with that fear that fear that she was

934
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:08,069
going to be forgotten

935
00:36:06,119 --> 00:36:10,619
the fear that she was not going to be

936
00:36:08,069 --> 00:36:13,230
remembered the fear that her mark on

937
00:36:10,619 --> 00:36:15,720
this world was going to go with her

938
00:36:13,230 --> 00:36:17,520
I believe I truly believe this the

939
00:36:15,720 --> 00:36:19,500
people with Alzheimer's know what is

940
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:20,910
happening to them I don't think there's

941
00:36:19,500 --> 00:36:23,910
any question that my mother knew what

942
00:36:20,910 --> 00:36:25,650
was happening to her and it was slow and

943
00:36:23,910 --> 00:36:28,109
it was painful and it was very very

944
00:36:25,650 --> 00:36:30,150
frustrating you know it's hard enough on

945
00:36:28,109 --> 00:36:31,680
the outside I can't imagine what it

946
00:36:30,150 --> 00:36:34,079
would have looked like from her

947
00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:35,760
perspective but the more I thought about

948
00:36:34,079 --> 00:36:37,560
it the more I realized that graffiti

949
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:39,420
artists and people with Alzheimer's

950
00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:41,190
really do have an awful lot in common in

951
00:36:39,420 --> 00:36:42,589
fact one of the very first with known

952
00:36:41,190 --> 00:36:50,220
graffiti artists

953
00:36:42,589 --> 00:36:52,740
this was taki 183 his entire purpose the

954
00:36:50,220 --> 00:36:55,470
only reason that he existed was to leave

955
00:36:52,740 --> 00:36:56,280
his name in all five boroughs of New

956
00:36:55,470 --> 00:37:00,450
York City

957
00:36:56,280 --> 00:37:03,680
so the talking 183 was his initials 183

958
00:37:00,450 --> 00:37:06,000
he lived on 183rd Street his whole thing

959
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:09,990
was to leave his mark on all five

960
00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:13,079
boroughs so from this from one of this

961
00:37:09,990 --> 00:37:15,569
very early early graffiti artists a

962
00:37:13,079 --> 00:37:17,640
whole movement a whole art form has been

963
00:37:15,569 --> 00:37:19,730
born it's not an art form you're seeing

964
00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:22,050
more and more of it in the museum's now

965
00:37:19,730 --> 00:37:25,710
but it's not an art form that's very

966
00:37:22,050 --> 00:37:27,900
well understood but at its core at its

967
00:37:25,710 --> 00:37:30,599
most base level it's really about

968
00:37:27,900 --> 00:37:32,480
writing your name on the wall okay I'd

969
00:37:30,599 --> 00:37:35,670
like to joke that sometimes I believe

970
00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:37,890
that the first artwork on the wall was

971
00:37:35,670 --> 00:37:39,869
actually not from the shamans in the

972
00:37:37,890 --> 00:37:41,910
caves I really wonder if it was the

973
00:37:39,869 --> 00:37:44,130
teenagers but that could just be me

974
00:37:41,910 --> 00:37:47,630
I don't know but really it's about

975
00:37:44,130 --> 00:37:50,099
leaving your mark and this taki 183

976
00:37:47,630 --> 00:37:51,960
even after 50 years people still

977
00:37:50,099 --> 00:37:54,150
recognize his tally they still recognize

978
00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:56,640
his mark so the idea behind graffiti is

979
00:37:54,150 --> 00:37:58,950
literally putting your name on the wall

980
00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:01,589
that is the basis of everything that's

981
00:37:58,950 --> 00:38:03,630
come after now running an urban Art

982
00:38:01,589 --> 00:38:05,280
Center I still don't consider myself a

983
00:38:03,630 --> 00:38:06,599
graffiti artist everyone wants them

984
00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:08,730
although let me know they'll give me a

985
00:38:06,599 --> 00:38:10,740
can and it's okay fill in this area here

986
00:38:08,730 --> 00:38:13,650
Damon hey don't go outside the lines and

987
00:38:10,740 --> 00:38:15,390
a cotton kind of gotten over that whole

988
00:38:13,650 --> 00:38:17,010
thing a little bit but so they'll let me

989
00:38:15,390 --> 00:38:18,750
do let me spray paint but I've learned a

990
00:38:17,010 --> 00:38:21,240
lot about graffiti I've learned a lot

991
00:38:18,750 --> 00:38:22,560
about the art form and I truly think

992
00:38:21,240 --> 00:38:25,859
that it's among the most vibrant and

993
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:28,520
exciting art forms that we have today so

994
00:38:25,859 --> 00:38:30,540
we've gone from this about 50 years ago

995
00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:33,390
to this

996
00:38:30,540 --> 00:38:35,400
and this is just one example of one

997
00:38:33,390 --> 00:38:37,950
artist in Spain this is a church in

998
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:40,050
Spain that had been abandoned for a long

999
00:38:37,950 --> 00:38:40,890
time and they've turned this into a

1000
00:38:40,050 --> 00:38:43,170
skate park

1001
00:38:40,890 --> 00:38:44,670
so inside their skate ramps all over the

1002
00:38:43,170 --> 00:38:47,700
place and that's graffiti artists they

1003
00:38:44,670 --> 00:38:49,920
just gave him free Lane that's a church

1004
00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:52,070
I might want to go to yeah

1005
00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:56,010
but in that amazing how we went from

1006
00:38:52,070 --> 00:38:58,550
taki 183 literally leaving his name on

1007
00:38:56,010 --> 00:39:02,550
the wall just to prove that he existed

1008
00:38:58,550 --> 00:39:04,620
to something like that no like I said

1009
00:39:02,550 --> 00:39:05,880
I've never had any formal art education

1010
00:39:04,620 --> 00:39:08,130
but when I do come to a new city I

1011
00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:09,870
either go to a museum or I start seeking

1012
00:39:08,130 --> 00:39:11,070
out some graffiti some of the walls I

1013
00:39:09,870 --> 00:39:14,030
find out where the walls are because I

1014
00:39:11,070 --> 00:39:16,530
think that this is really amazing work

1015
00:39:14,030 --> 00:39:18,450
the thing that amazes me and the thing

1016
00:39:16,530 --> 00:39:21,330
that encourages me the most is its

1017
00:39:18,450 --> 00:39:23,820
collaborative and nature all right we

1018
00:39:21,330 --> 00:39:26,970
think of art and the art of the creation

1019
00:39:23,820 --> 00:39:28,740
of art is a singular pursuit but we

1020
00:39:26,970 --> 00:39:30,600
learn through things like the MoMA

1021
00:39:28,740 --> 00:39:33,510
training and I've learned in our studio

1022
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:34,950
that sometimes it's better off when

1023
00:39:33,510 --> 00:39:37,590
you're creating a piece of artwork with

1024
00:39:34,950 --> 00:39:39,510
a team there's less pressure to be

1025
00:39:37,590 --> 00:39:42,030
perfect right the one thing that I have

1026
00:39:39,510 --> 00:39:43,650
learned about creation creativity and

1027
00:39:42,030 --> 00:39:47,010
art is the fact that you don't have to

1028
00:39:43,650 --> 00:39:48,570
be perfect right graffiti you can make a

1029
00:39:47,010 --> 00:39:52,200
lot of mistakes and you can cover it up

1030
00:39:48,570 --> 00:39:54,290
which I really personally love but that

1031
00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:56,580
idea of doing something together

1032
00:39:54,290 --> 00:39:58,290
graffiti artists very often work in

1033
00:39:56,580 --> 00:39:59,730
what's known as crews there's a whole

1034
00:39:58,290 --> 00:40:02,000
group of them and at the end of the day

1035
00:39:59,730 --> 00:40:04,620
they sign their names next to the work I

1036
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,790
really liked that idea because one of

1037
00:40:04,620 --> 00:40:07,710
the things that I felt was so

1038
00:40:05,790 --> 00:40:09,570
frustrating as a young child is that

1039
00:40:07,710 --> 00:40:12,810
idea of you can't stay within the lines

1040
00:40:09,570 --> 00:40:14,370
therefore you don't belong actually has

1041
00:40:12,810 --> 00:40:16,140
we had a little bit more open miss

1042
00:40:14,370 --> 00:40:18,900
Nelson but a little bit more open with

1043
00:40:16,140 --> 00:40:21,030
me we might have had a dialogue but I

1044
00:40:18,900 --> 00:40:24,780
was like 5 so it probably didn't happen

1045
00:40:21,030 --> 00:40:28,260
but graffiti continues to grow and to

1046
00:40:24,780 --> 00:40:31,260
change I was recently in Scotland and I

1047
00:40:28,260 --> 00:40:32,730
saw these people who were doing what

1048
00:40:31,260 --> 00:40:34,860
they what did they call it urban

1049
00:40:32,730 --> 00:40:36,600
crafting you know you've seen the yarn

1050
00:40:34,860 --> 00:40:39,210
bombers all these people have taken this

1051
00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:42,260
to a whole nother level so this is an

1052
00:40:39,210 --> 00:40:43,860
art form that's open and it's constantly

1053
00:40:42,260 --> 00:40:45,990
evolving it's close

1054
00:40:43,860 --> 00:40:47,850
changing everyday I see something new

1055
00:40:45,990 --> 00:40:50,490
every day I'm more and more drawn into

1056
00:40:47,850 --> 00:40:51,660
it still want them to let me have more

1057
00:40:50,490 --> 00:40:53,490
than just my own little suction on a

1058
00:40:51,660 --> 00:40:56,250
mural but we'll get that we'll get there

1059
00:40:53,490 --> 00:40:57,900
eventually so anyway I had the graffiti

1060
00:40:56,250 --> 00:41:02,850
artist he was on board he was ready to

1061
00:40:57,900 --> 00:41:04,620
go and by this time I had this germ of

1062
00:41:02,850 --> 00:41:06,810
an idea what if we taught people with

1063
00:41:04,620 --> 00:41:09,090
Alzheimer's and dementia how to do

1064
00:41:06,810 --> 00:41:10,740
graffiti I already had made the

1065
00:41:09,090 --> 00:41:12,600
connections at least in my own mind and

1066
00:41:10,740 --> 00:41:14,310
part of that could have been my own

1067
00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:16,020
grief process maybe there really isn't

1068
00:41:14,310 --> 00:41:18,240
that much of a connection but it made

1069
00:41:16,020 --> 00:41:19,560
sense to me and being a small nonprofit

1070
00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:20,850
organization and being pretty much a

1071
00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:22,920
one-man band I could do whatever I

1072
00:41:20,850 --> 00:41:25,050
wanted so that's the beauty of working

1073
00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:27,720
for a small group I was like oh I can do

1074
00:41:25,050 --> 00:41:31,620
this I just needed some people with

1075
00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:33,510
Alzheimer's so I called my friend said

1076
00:41:31,620 --> 00:41:36,060
Courtney my friend worked at an assisted

1077
00:41:33,510 --> 00:41:37,380
living center said Courtney I want to

1078
00:41:36,060 --> 00:41:39,870
come out and do some graffiti with some

1079
00:41:37,380 --> 00:41:41,990
of your clients and you might imagine

1080
00:41:39,870 --> 00:41:45,710
that after the initial stunned silent

1081
00:41:41,990 --> 00:41:49,800
and she's like okay you want to do but

1082
00:41:45,710 --> 00:41:51,930
she reluctantly agreed that's really

1083
00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:54,600
excited about that what I didn't expect

1084
00:41:51,930 --> 00:41:56,610
is to get to the all to the assisted

1085
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:58,590
living center and I had to deal with my

1086
00:41:56,610 --> 00:42:00,270
own emotions because that was a way for

1087
00:41:58,590 --> 00:42:02,850
me to start processing some of my own

1088
00:42:00,270 --> 00:42:04,620
great but we had four very brave artists

1089
00:42:02,850 --> 00:42:06,570
that day and they'd probably have good

1090
00:42:04,620 --> 00:42:08,100
that didn't let me near the the cans at

1091
00:42:06,570 --> 00:42:10,500
this point because I was really kind of

1092
00:42:08,100 --> 00:42:12,600
erect the whole day I'm like oh my god

1093
00:42:10,500 --> 00:42:14,310
but we had four brave artists at first

1094
00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:17,220
and so these are all people with

1095
00:42:14,310 --> 00:42:20,070
Alzheimer's and dementia and notice that

1096
00:42:17,220 --> 00:42:21,870
I call them artists not patients because

1097
00:42:20,070 --> 00:42:23,660
when you are caregiving for somebody you

1098
00:42:21,870 --> 00:42:25,470
really do feel like you're part of that

1099
00:42:23,660 --> 00:42:28,770
extended medical team

1100
00:42:25,470 --> 00:42:30,210
I felt that so much of my mom is like

1101
00:42:28,770 --> 00:42:31,910
man I'm just dealing with all of this

1102
00:42:30,210 --> 00:42:35,640
medical stuff and I'm not a doctor but

1103
00:42:31,910 --> 00:42:37,620
these were our artists that day they

1104
00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:40,050
were brave enough to come out and do

1105
00:42:37,620 --> 00:42:43,980
this with us and what we started with

1106
00:42:40,050 --> 00:42:47,790
was their tag all right we didn't have

1107
00:42:43,980 --> 00:42:52,230
any taki 183 s we had at Tremont

1108
00:42:47,790 --> 00:42:53,760
we had Dolores and we had ham and I

1109
00:42:52,230 --> 00:42:56,339
realized that Anne couldn't write her

1110
00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:57,869
name anymore until handmade a flower

1111
00:42:56,339 --> 00:42:59,549
showed how to made a flow and the fact

1112
00:42:57,869 --> 00:43:03,079
that she couldn't write her name anymore

1113
00:42:59,549 --> 00:43:05,489
didn't matter it simply did not matter

1114
00:43:03,079 --> 00:43:07,619
the experience was a communal thing

1115
00:43:05,489 --> 00:43:12,150
where we were just trying to do this

1116
00:43:07,619 --> 00:43:14,219
together just to see if we could and at

1117
00:43:12,150 --> 00:43:15,869
this point this was still a germ of an

1118
00:43:14,219 --> 00:43:17,849
idea I really do believe this was

1119
00:43:15,869 --> 00:43:19,710
partially my own grease coming through

1120
00:43:17,849 --> 00:43:21,589
in a way for me to process something

1121
00:43:19,710 --> 00:43:24,869
that I was still trying to understand

1122
00:43:21,589 --> 00:43:26,759
but as we were moving along we were

1123
00:43:24,869 --> 00:43:28,499
painting the first thing we did is have

1124
00:43:26,759 --> 00:43:30,900
everybody leave their mark on the canvas

1125
00:43:28,499 --> 00:43:34,140
so this is actually a canvas they

1126
00:43:30,900 --> 00:43:37,079
wouldn't let us paint on the wall don't

1127
00:43:34,140 --> 00:43:39,690
know why but we started painting and

1128
00:43:37,079 --> 00:43:46,769
after a while I realized one of the

1129
00:43:39,690 --> 00:43:48,479
gentlemen had painted a caboose so we're

1130
00:43:46,769 --> 00:43:50,339
painting he had written his name he

1131
00:43:48,479 --> 00:43:51,690
could still actually I think he wrote

1132
00:43:50,339 --> 00:43:53,069
his initials but after a while

1133
00:43:51,690 --> 00:43:55,140
everyone's getting comfortable with it

1134
00:43:53,069 --> 00:43:57,089
the kitchen staffs coming out and

1135
00:43:55,140 --> 00:43:59,039
watching what's going on the

1136
00:43:57,089 --> 00:44:00,979
administrators are coming out you know I

1137
00:43:59,039 --> 00:44:03,029
guess their final reports could wait -

1138
00:44:00,979 --> 00:44:04,710
and everybody was watching what was

1139
00:44:03,029 --> 00:44:08,969
going on in Freeman - his name is

1140
00:44:04,710 --> 00:44:11,039
Freeman he had made a caboose I'm not -

1141
00:44:08,969 --> 00:44:12,989
I'm gonna take his pre-med that is an

1142
00:44:11,039 --> 00:44:14,460
awesome caboose and I meant it that was

1143
00:44:12,989 --> 00:44:17,700
a really good caboose and he looked at

1144
00:44:14,460 --> 00:44:19,229
me complete clarity and he said you know

1145
00:44:17,700 --> 00:44:21,869
what I worked on the railroad for 40

1146
00:44:19,229 --> 00:44:23,880
years and some of the people that were

1147
00:44:21,869 --> 00:44:25,650
there that day that worked with him the

1148
00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:27,630
people that said him that bathed him -

1149
00:44:25,650 --> 00:44:30,329
clothed him it was clear to me that some

1150
00:44:27,630 --> 00:44:32,339
of them did not know that about him all

1151
00:44:30,329 --> 00:44:33,539
right now I'm not standing up here

1152
00:44:32,339 --> 00:44:35,219
saying that every time we do graffiti

1153
00:44:33,539 --> 00:44:37,019
with people with Alzheimer's we opened

1154
00:44:35,219 --> 00:44:41,039
up some mystical channel but sometimes

1155
00:44:37,019 --> 00:44:42,869
we do he left his mark on me that day

1156
00:44:41,039 --> 00:44:45,839
I'm like wow we are really onto

1157
00:44:42,869 --> 00:44:48,779
something here he worked on the railroad

1158
00:44:45,839 --> 00:44:50,880
for 40 years that's pretty impressive

1159
00:44:48,779 --> 00:44:52,200
just in and of itself but the fact that

1160
00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:55,349
the people around him did another and we

1161
00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:58,559
were somehow able to just see for a

1162
00:44:55,349 --> 00:45:01,109
brief moment the person who was no

1163
00:44:58,559 --> 00:45:02,910
longer the patient so this day was very

1164
00:45:01,109 --> 00:45:04,589
successful and as I said this particular

1165
00:45:02,910 --> 00:45:07,019
day I really was just more in the

1166
00:45:04,589 --> 00:45:08,460
observer I had the camera but I was kind

1167
00:45:07,019 --> 00:45:10,260
of a mess I'll be real honest I was a

1168
00:45:08,460 --> 00:45:11,880
hot mess this is not too terribly long

1169
00:45:10,260 --> 00:45:13,680
after my mom had passed away and I'm

1170
00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:15,510
like okay we did this I thought it'd

1171
00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:17,609
give it out of my system but it kind of

1172
00:45:15,510 --> 00:45:20,550
didn't because I kept remembering

1173
00:45:17,609 --> 00:45:21,270
Freeman I kept remembering that look in

1174
00:45:20,550 --> 00:45:24,420
his eye

1175
00:45:21,270 --> 00:45:26,430
yeah I worked on the railroad it's like

1176
00:45:24,420 --> 00:45:27,930
my mom because when she told me I'd

1177
00:45:26,430 --> 00:45:29,220
rather go with you to do graffiti then

1178
00:45:27,930 --> 00:45:30,990
do another coloring book because I'd

1179
00:45:29,220 --> 00:45:33,690
rather chew off my arm that was pretty

1180
00:45:30,990 --> 00:45:36,900
clear for her so there's something about

1181
00:45:33,690 --> 00:45:39,750
that creativity and it doesn't have to

1182
00:45:36,900 --> 00:45:42,150
be graffiti it could be any number of

1183
00:45:39,750 --> 00:45:45,690
creative outlets for these people but

1184
00:45:42,150 --> 00:45:47,880
somehow someway we're able to touch into

1185
00:45:45,690 --> 00:45:49,140
something there and I personally believe

1186
00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:50,190
that it has something to do with the

1187
00:45:49,140 --> 00:45:52,770
fact that we're teaching them something

1188
00:45:50,190 --> 00:45:56,490
we knew they were not asking them to

1189
00:45:52,770 --> 00:45:58,500
retrieve a memory so in the course of 20

1190
00:45:56,490 --> 00:46:00,240
years running an art gallery

1191
00:45:58,500 --> 00:46:01,290
four people are running on our program

1192
00:46:00,240 --> 00:46:03,330
for people with disabilities I've

1193
00:46:01,290 --> 00:46:04,700
learned a few things I've taught people

1194
00:46:03,330 --> 00:46:07,320
who are blind how to take photographs

1195
00:46:04,700 --> 00:46:08,910
about people who are deaf to dance and

1196
00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,410
we had a program for awhile where we had

1197
00:46:08,910 --> 00:46:12,210
people with spinal cord injuries that

1198
00:46:10,410 --> 00:46:14,070
didn't have the use of their arms we

1199
00:46:12,210 --> 00:46:18,000
taught them how to paint with their

1200
00:46:14,070 --> 00:46:19,859
teeth but as all of that experience I

1201
00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:22,320
mean I've done some really crazy things

1202
00:46:19,859 --> 00:46:24,240
because again we can there's nobody

1203
00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:25,980
telling me no so I'd love to push back

1204
00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:28,350
against assumptions I had never thought

1205
00:46:25,980 --> 00:46:30,990
once about how would we do something

1206
00:46:28,350 --> 00:46:32,700
with somebody who may not remember up

1207
00:46:30,990 --> 00:46:36,000
until this point we had done one day

1208
00:46:32,700 --> 00:46:37,530
with Freeman and his crew I knew we were

1209
00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:40,880
onto something like thought what if we

1210
00:46:37,530 --> 00:46:43,830
do more but how do you program something

1211
00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:45,359
so this is the programmer hat okay how

1212
00:46:43,830 --> 00:46:46,590
do you program something for somebody

1213
00:46:45,359 --> 00:46:50,250
who may not remember from week to week

1214
00:46:46,590 --> 00:46:53,940
or day to day or sometimes even our into

1215
00:46:50,250 --> 00:46:59,220
our that's the other really beauty part

1216
00:46:53,940 --> 00:47:02,630
about graffiti it's immediate right you

1217
00:46:59,220 --> 00:47:04,470
don't have to let anything dry right and

1218
00:47:02,630 --> 00:47:07,320
Denver they have this thing called our

1219
00:47:04,470 --> 00:47:09,869
tank it's kind of like Shark Tank but

1220
00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:12,030
it's for art I'm like okay well let's

1221
00:47:09,869 --> 00:47:14,160
see if they would fund us to do some

1222
00:47:12,030 --> 00:47:16,320
more of this programming even though our

1223
00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:18,570
primary focus was still the young people

1224
00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:20,640
like Alan and Nicole what would they do

1225
00:47:18,570 --> 00:47:22,480
would they fund us so we made a pitch

1226
00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:26,740
and we got a little extra funding

1227
00:47:22,480 --> 00:47:29,829
and the first several sessions that we

1228
00:47:26,740 --> 00:47:31,589
did were just the same way that we set

1229
00:47:29,829 --> 00:47:34,119
up the first time when we met Freeman

1230
00:47:31,589 --> 00:47:37,180
we'd set up a two-hour block of time

1231
00:47:34,119 --> 00:47:39,070
we'd have them come to us it was easier

1232
00:47:37,180 --> 00:47:41,880
for them to come to us oddly enough

1233
00:47:39,070 --> 00:47:44,230
because usually they had transportation

1234
00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:45,550
the first one we did at the assisted

1235
00:47:44,230 --> 00:47:46,750
living center was a little bit more

1236
00:47:45,550 --> 00:47:49,810
challenging but when they started coming

1237
00:47:46,750 --> 00:47:51,760
to us we have an art studio we are ready

1238
00:47:49,810 --> 00:47:53,859
to go we discovered something called

1239
00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:56,680
water-based spray paint okay

1240
00:47:53,859 --> 00:47:58,930
I love water-based scraping because you

1241
00:47:56,680 --> 00:48:01,000
know what the big masks the big

1242
00:47:58,930 --> 00:48:02,200
respirator that that regular spray paint

1243
00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:04,390
that's nasty

1244
00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:05,800
that's like Turpin was just some really

1245
00:48:04,390 --> 00:48:09,010
nasty chemicals the water-based stuff

1246
00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:11,170
has a heavier propellant so that the the

1247
00:48:09,010 --> 00:48:14,740
nasty chemicals they go down instead of

1248
00:48:11,170 --> 00:48:16,690
that so we discovered that we met some

1249
00:48:14,740 --> 00:48:18,820
really really incredible people along

1250
00:48:16,690 --> 00:48:22,329
the way but after that first session the

1251
00:48:18,820 --> 00:48:24,730
thing that I felt was missing was the

1252
00:48:22,329 --> 00:48:26,380
caregivers the people that were there

1253
00:48:24,730 --> 00:48:28,329
that day were paid to work with Freeman

1254
00:48:26,380 --> 00:48:31,150
they were paid to work with them they

1255
00:48:28,329 --> 00:48:35,319
were paid to be there and the thing that

1256
00:48:31,150 --> 00:48:38,650
I really thought was important is to get

1257
00:48:35,319 --> 00:48:40,720
this idea of including the caregivers so

1258
00:48:38,650 --> 00:48:42,430
our first three or four sessions when we

1259
00:48:40,720 --> 00:48:47,230
got our first grant sucked I mean it's

1260
00:48:42,430 --> 00:48:49,359
tiny little grant it was like $2,000 but

1261
00:48:47,230 --> 00:48:50,710
we made it a point to include and invite

1262
00:48:49,359 --> 00:48:52,450
the caregivers to come down because I

1263
00:48:50,710 --> 00:48:54,640
knew firsthand I knew that they needed a

1264
00:48:52,450 --> 00:48:56,470
break from the constant care the

1265
00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:59,470
constant just what's going to happen

1266
00:48:56,470 --> 00:49:01,210
next so we started doing these little

1267
00:48:59,470 --> 00:49:04,150
two-hour sessions at the studio and we

1268
00:49:01,210 --> 00:49:06,099
got all sorts of wonderful fun people we

1269
00:49:04,150 --> 00:49:08,670
had a local news station come down I

1270
00:49:06,099 --> 00:49:11,560
know it's really really pretty an

1271
00:49:08,670 --> 00:49:13,300
amazing experience to see this little

1272
00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:16,900
germ of an idea that was really a

1273
00:49:13,300 --> 00:49:19,569
response on my part to grief become

1274
00:49:16,900 --> 00:49:20,890
something that it's actually quite

1275
00:49:19,569 --> 00:49:22,839
interesting when you really think about

1276
00:49:20,890 --> 00:49:26,290
it these people come down with no

1277
00:49:22,839 --> 00:49:27,310
expectations not sometimes they have a

1278
00:49:26,290 --> 00:49:28,660
choice sometimes they don't have a

1279
00:49:27,310 --> 00:49:30,819
choice but when they come down they're

1280
00:49:28,660 --> 00:49:32,560
pretty open to try anything and if you

1281
00:49:30,819 --> 00:49:34,690
really think about it

1282
00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:36,580
it's society that's putting across the

1283
00:49:34,690 --> 00:49:38,200
idea that older people may not be

1284
00:49:36,580 --> 00:49:39,790
interested in learning something or

1285
00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:41,770
people with Alzheimer's may not be

1286
00:49:39,790 --> 00:49:45,100
interested in graffiti where is that

1287
00:49:41,770 --> 00:49:46,780
written it's not written anywhere and

1288
00:49:45,100 --> 00:49:50,190
what I found is this is a particularly

1289
00:49:46,780 --> 00:49:52,060
open they will do pretty much anything

1290
00:49:50,190 --> 00:49:53,680
because there's so much better than

1291
00:49:52,060 --> 00:49:57,460
sitting around doing coloring books I

1292
00:49:53,680 --> 00:49:59,680
imagine but we learned that by including

1293
00:49:57,460 --> 00:50:01,980
the caregivers we started building some

1294
00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:04,570
community we started seeing some things

1295
00:50:01,980 --> 00:50:07,150
not only from the caregivers part but we

1296
00:50:04,570 --> 00:50:09,190
were all able to just take a break and

1297
00:50:07,150 --> 00:50:11,170
when you're in that constant crisis not

1298
00:50:09,190 --> 00:50:14,250
taking a break is so very very very

1299
00:50:11,170 --> 00:50:22,620
important one day we got a call

1300
00:50:14,250 --> 00:50:25,090
um this is Lester Holt NBC News okay and

1301
00:50:22,620 --> 00:50:26,830
actually wasn't actually him but the guy

1302
00:50:25,090 --> 00:50:28,630
who called sounded a lot like him so I

1303
00:50:26,830 --> 00:50:32,380
pretend that it was but they wanted to

1304
00:50:28,630 --> 00:50:34,270
do it I can do that right they wanted to

1305
00:50:32,380 --> 00:50:37,090
come out from New York and do a story on

1306
00:50:34,270 --> 00:50:40,660
our granny does graffiti program all

1307
00:50:37,090 --> 00:50:43,900
right I'm like okay sure like we want to

1308
00:50:40,660 --> 00:50:45,250
come on Thursday I'm like okay but we

1309
00:50:43,900 --> 00:50:47,890
don't do that on Thursday if we do

1310
00:50:45,250 --> 00:50:49,330
graffiti on Monday all right so I got my

1311
00:50:47,890 --> 00:50:51,940
lines we're getting a little bit up I

1312
00:50:49,330 --> 00:50:52,780
was a little bit structured and I

1313
00:50:51,940 --> 00:50:53,620
thought that through and I'm like you

1314
00:50:52,780 --> 00:50:55,030
know what if they want to come on

1315
00:50:53,620 --> 00:50:56,650
Thursday we'll make it work on Thursday

1316
00:50:55,030 --> 00:50:57,820
and it wasn't like this Thursday it was

1317
00:50:56,650 --> 00:50:59,620
big they gave us a little bit of warning

1318
00:50:57,820 --> 00:51:00,880
so I called up the group that we were

1319
00:50:59,620 --> 00:51:03,700
working with I said can you come on a

1320
00:51:00,880 --> 00:51:05,320
Thursday instead of Monday they like

1321
00:51:03,700 --> 00:51:06,540
sure we can come down we can make this

1322
00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:08,920
work

1323
00:51:06,540 --> 00:51:13,390
good I'm really glad you said that

1324
00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:16,660
because Lester Holt's coming and we set

1325
00:51:13,390 --> 00:51:19,270
this thing up and I really honestly wish

1326
00:51:16,660 --> 00:51:23,320
I could take credit for this but this

1327
00:51:19,270 --> 00:51:26,680
was a happy accident remember Alan so on

1328
00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:28,960
Thursdays Alan is in the studio all

1329
00:51:26,680 --> 00:51:31,180
right he's not there on Mondays so our

1330
00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:32,200
regular Nicole and Alan and all the

1331
00:51:31,180 --> 00:51:34,690
students that we normally work with

1332
00:51:32,200 --> 00:51:36,430
we're not seeing the people with

1333
00:51:34,690 --> 00:51:38,170
Alzheimer's and dementia they were on

1334
00:51:36,430 --> 00:51:40,150
two separate days we have a very limited

1335
00:51:38,170 --> 00:51:41,410
space it wasn't anything like I was

1336
00:51:40,150 --> 00:51:43,390
trying to keep them apart but as a

1337
00:51:41,410 --> 00:51:45,190
programmer you're like okay Monday we

1338
00:51:43,390 --> 00:51:45,660
have two hours of do it double double

1339
00:51:45,190 --> 00:51:47,039
but

1340
00:51:45,660 --> 00:51:49,650
Thursday when Lester Holt decided to

1341
00:51:47,039 --> 00:51:51,920
come he didn't actually come he sent one

1342
00:51:49,650 --> 00:51:55,470
of his minions but it's still cool um

1343
00:51:51,920 --> 00:51:57,930
Alan was in the studio blue and white

1344
00:51:55,470 --> 00:52:01,410
and orange blur vigorously racing up the

1345
00:51:57,930 --> 00:52:04,140
walkway is Mary good a grandmother of 35

1346
00:52:01,410 --> 00:52:06,990
who loves to leave her mark I really

1347
00:52:04,140 --> 00:52:08,309
love to draw usually with a paintbrush

1348
00:52:06,990 --> 00:52:10,770
or pencil

1349
00:52:08,309 --> 00:52:12,270
when we were kids she would write our

1350
00:52:10,770 --> 00:52:14,250
names on our lunch sacks

1351
00:52:12,270 --> 00:52:17,309
and it was always in a very artistic

1352
00:52:14,250 --> 00:52:19,200
manner I am not expecting the Mona Lisa

1353
00:52:17,309 --> 00:52:21,839
and I'm not expecting the masterpiece

1354
00:52:19,200 --> 00:52:23,819
lately she's flexing those art muscles

1355
00:52:21,839 --> 00:52:25,589
through the Johnson Adult Day program

1356
00:52:23,819 --> 00:52:28,319
which helps though is battling memory

1357
00:52:25,589 --> 00:52:31,440
loss Merritt has been diagnosed with

1358
00:52:28,319 --> 00:52:33,020
Alzheimer's my daughters brought me down

1359
00:52:31,440 --> 00:52:36,660
here because they could see a sadness

1360
00:52:33,020 --> 00:52:39,299
that I had through art her sadness is

1361
00:52:36,660 --> 00:52:42,780
erased but who could have imagined or

1362
00:52:39,299 --> 00:52:47,280
did you marry her next kiss would be a

1363
00:52:42,780 --> 00:52:49,650
wall that many demographically speaking

1364
00:52:47,280 --> 00:52:53,789
these seniors do not fit the profile of

1365
00:52:49,650 --> 00:52:55,619
a graffiti artist let's see that pig get

1366
00:52:53,789 --> 00:52:58,079
armed with water-based spray-paint

1367
00:52:55,619 --> 00:53:00,569
they're defying stereotypes it's a new

1368
00:52:58,079 --> 00:53:03,569
idea at the Access Art Gallery in Denver

1369
00:53:00,569 --> 00:53:05,609
called granny does graffiti what's it

1370
00:53:03,569 --> 00:53:08,309
like seeing your mom do this oh it's so

1371
00:53:05,609 --> 00:53:10,740
fun the idea came from Damon mcLeese

1372
00:53:08,309 --> 00:53:12,319
whose mother had dementia in my belief

1373
00:53:10,740 --> 00:53:14,880
is that by introducing something new

1374
00:53:12,319 --> 00:53:16,109
sometimes it that opens a different

1375
00:53:14,880 --> 00:53:18,240
channel or different pathway in the

1376
00:53:16,109 --> 00:53:20,640
brain and we get a glimpse of the person

1377
00:53:18,240 --> 00:53:23,369
that's still there for Mary her initials

1378
00:53:20,640 --> 00:53:26,520
MSG trigger thoughts of her high school

1379
00:53:23,369 --> 00:53:29,010
which had the same initials it's also my

1380
00:53:26,520 --> 00:53:31,859
school was not st. Gertrude it just

1381
00:53:29,010 --> 00:53:34,680
seemed so much more for her than just

1382
00:53:31,859 --> 00:53:37,680
plain old paintings bring back memories

1383
00:53:34,680 --> 00:53:40,500
I think this is a lot of time which

1384
00:53:37,680 --> 00:53:46,740
means Mary can continue to leave her

1385
00:53:40,500 --> 00:53:48,329
mark Joe fryer NBC News yeah so it

1386
00:53:46,740 --> 00:53:50,339
wasn't Lester Holt I know I got your

1387
00:53:48,329 --> 00:53:51,990
hopes up but this guy was actually

1388
00:53:50,339 --> 00:53:55,109
really really cool he was very very nice

1389
00:53:51,990 --> 00:53:56,470
and that story kind of encapsulates what

1390
00:53:55,109 --> 00:53:58,900
we had learned up to that point

1391
00:53:56,470 --> 00:54:00,490
as I mentioned Allanon I don't think

1392
00:53:58,900 --> 00:54:03,970
Nicole was in the day but Alan was in

1393
00:54:00,490 --> 00:54:05,380
that day and I'd love the students that

1394
00:54:03,970 --> 00:54:07,300
I work with I really have gotten to know

1395
00:54:05,380 --> 00:54:09,820
them I know their families and I know

1396
00:54:07,300 --> 00:54:11,980
how challenging life is for most of my

1397
00:54:09,820 --> 00:54:13,599
students so Alan was in that day and

1398
00:54:11,980 --> 00:54:15,520
like I said I've never seen Alan take

1399
00:54:13,599 --> 00:54:17,109
the initiative for anything he'll do

1400
00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:18,670
exactly what you wanted he'd be very

1401
00:54:17,109 --> 00:54:20,410
happy I don't know if you noticed that

1402
00:54:18,670 --> 00:54:22,300
every single one of those seniors so

1403
00:54:20,410 --> 00:54:24,880
they this is a little bit of sidebar but

1404
00:54:22,300 --> 00:54:27,130
entertain me for a second that was the

1405
00:54:24,880 --> 00:54:29,710
first Bronco game of the year last year

1406
00:54:27,130 --> 00:54:32,500
it was on that Thursday night okay in

1407
00:54:29,710 --> 00:54:34,560
Denver in September you can still get 90

1408
00:54:32,500 --> 00:54:37,000
degree days so all these women and men

1409
00:54:34,560 --> 00:54:39,580
showed up in their Bronco regalia and

1410
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:42,010
sweat sweat shirts and sweat suits it

1411
00:54:39,580 --> 00:54:43,660
was 90 degrees I'm like oh my god

1412
00:54:42,010 --> 00:54:45,130
Lester Holt if we're going to have a

1413
00:54:43,660 --> 00:54:49,450
whole different story on your hand here

1414
00:54:45,130 --> 00:54:51,190
if we're not careful but we so we

1415
00:54:49,450 --> 00:54:52,990
started bringing them water and what

1416
00:54:51,190 --> 00:54:55,720
wasn't on the camera was the fact that

1417
00:54:52,990 --> 00:54:57,430
Alan had taken the initiative because by

1418
00:54:55,720 --> 00:54:59,050
now Alan had worked on several murals

1419
00:54:57,430 --> 00:55:00,760
with us as well he had taken the

1420
00:54:59,050 --> 00:55:03,880
initiative to start showing people how

1421
00:55:00,760 --> 00:55:05,950
to use the can he had assumed leadership

1422
00:55:03,880 --> 00:55:08,530
because he was so comfortable there

1423
00:55:05,950 --> 00:55:10,030
that's the thing about creativity that's

1424
00:55:08,530 --> 00:55:14,050
the thing that I think I have learned

1425
00:55:10,030 --> 00:55:16,330
through this entire process part of what

1426
00:55:14,050 --> 00:55:18,250
makes this work is that safe creative

1427
00:55:16,330 --> 00:55:20,170
environment we allow people to try

1428
00:55:18,250 --> 00:55:25,030
something new in a non-threatening

1429
00:55:20,170 --> 00:55:27,580
environment now I spend a lot of time in

1430
00:55:25,030 --> 00:55:28,570
elementary schools less so now but I

1431
00:55:27,580 --> 00:55:30,369
used to spend a lot of time in

1432
00:55:28,570 --> 00:55:32,109
elementary school when I would go into a

1433
00:55:30,369 --> 00:55:35,050
first or second grade class and I would

1434
00:55:32,109 --> 00:55:38,050
ask how many of you feel you're creative

1435
00:55:35,050 --> 00:55:40,359
in almost every single hand in a first

1436
00:55:38,050 --> 00:55:42,300
or second grade classroom goes up now to

1437
00:55:40,359 --> 00:55:44,260
sort of do some work in corporations

1438
00:55:42,300 --> 00:55:45,460
everyone's all the letters go in there

1439
00:55:44,260 --> 00:55:48,040
and do an art project with them and I

1440
00:55:45,460 --> 00:55:49,630
asked the same question how many of you

1441
00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:52,300
think that you're creative

1442
00:55:49,630 --> 00:55:55,480
I'm usually less than half the room

1443
00:55:52,300 --> 00:55:56,380
raises their hand so got me to thinking

1444
00:55:55,480 --> 00:55:58,660
about creativity

1445
00:55:56,380 --> 00:56:00,940
so either half the people in the room

1446
00:55:58,660 --> 00:56:03,520
were in my elementary school class with

1447
00:56:00,940 --> 00:56:06,700
Miss Nelson or we've all had similar

1448
00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:08,349
experiences and as we get older some of

1449
00:56:06,700 --> 00:56:10,599
the lines that we

1450
00:56:08,349 --> 00:56:12,849
come up against seem to get thicker and

1451
00:56:10,599 --> 00:56:14,019
blacker right it's harder and harder to

1452
00:56:12,849 --> 00:56:16,839
go outside the lines and we forget that

1453
00:56:14,019 --> 00:56:19,359
they're 64 colors in the box we tend to

1454
00:56:16,839 --> 00:56:21,940
go back to the same five or six colors

1455
00:56:19,359 --> 00:56:23,739
right I think that's what we assume

1456
00:56:21,940 --> 00:56:25,599
about people who are maybe a little bit

1457
00:56:23,739 --> 00:56:27,970
older or might have Alzheimer's or

1458
00:56:25,599 --> 00:56:30,039
dementia we assume that they're pretty

1459
00:56:27,970 --> 00:56:31,930
rigid and what I found that they're

1460
00:56:30,039 --> 00:56:33,249
really not rigid at all I don't think

1461
00:56:31,930 --> 00:56:35,559
they have anything left and I do believe

1462
00:56:33,249 --> 00:56:38,920
that there is a certain element of that

1463
00:56:35,559 --> 00:56:40,869
we're doing something a little nod okay

1464
00:56:38,920 --> 00:56:41,769
if you hang out with old people every

1465
00:56:40,869 --> 00:56:43,749
once in while you're going to realize

1466
00:56:41,769 --> 00:56:46,930
they're still pretty rebellious right

1467
00:56:43,749 --> 00:56:47,979
there's some little bit rebellious I put

1468
00:56:46,930 --> 00:56:51,519
that photo in just because it's

1469
00:56:47,979 --> 00:56:53,200
beautiful I will I just love the look on

1470
00:56:51,519 --> 00:56:55,749
her face she came with her daughter and

1471
00:56:53,200 --> 00:56:57,579
they had more fun they were laughing

1472
00:56:55,749 --> 00:56:59,529
they were just having a great time the

1473
00:56:57,579 --> 00:57:01,839
entire time that they were there but to

1474
00:56:59,529 --> 00:57:05,380
go back to the Broncos and Alan and to

1475
00:57:01,839 --> 00:57:07,599
heat that particular day she was making

1476
00:57:05,380 --> 00:57:10,930
her tag msg so we always start out with

1477
00:57:07,599 --> 00:57:12,969
the MSG and that particular day and this

1478
00:57:10,930 --> 00:57:15,039
is where I cannot take credit for being

1479
00:57:12,969 --> 00:57:18,219
brilliant I can take credit for being

1480
00:57:15,039 --> 00:57:19,809
lucky another piece of my puzzle fell

1481
00:57:18,219 --> 00:57:22,599
into place I realized that we could hire

1482
00:57:19,809 --> 00:57:23,979
these students to work with this

1483
00:57:22,599 --> 00:57:25,960
population so we have a

1484
00:57:23,979 --> 00:57:28,059
multi-generational thing where people

1485
00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:30,489
are learning about a very dynamic and

1486
00:57:28,059 --> 00:57:33,640
creative and I think exciting art form

1487
00:57:30,489 --> 00:57:35,559
and we get to do what I like to do best

1488
00:57:33,640 --> 00:57:38,380
we're pushing back against society's

1489
00:57:35,559 --> 00:57:40,119
assumptions so it was like the trifecta

1490
00:57:38,380 --> 00:57:42,940
for me that day but I still wasn't

1491
00:57:40,119 --> 00:57:45,670
satisfied okay we're still doing two

1492
00:57:42,940 --> 00:57:47,259
hour blocks of time we come in we do the

1493
00:57:45,670 --> 00:57:48,789
same thing alright we're going to teach

1494
00:57:47,259 --> 00:57:49,960
you how to make a tag we're going to

1495
00:57:48,789 --> 00:57:51,069
talk about this break and we're going to

1496
00:57:49,960 --> 00:57:52,479
make sure that everyone everyone

1497
00:57:51,069 --> 00:57:53,680
understands this point this where you

1498
00:57:52,479 --> 00:57:55,539
can away from yourself okay that's

1499
00:57:53,680 --> 00:57:57,759
really an important lesson me we usually

1500
00:57:55,539 --> 00:57:59,499
start with that one but at the end of

1501
00:57:57,759 --> 00:58:02,559
the two hours we're not doing anything

1502
00:57:59,499 --> 00:58:03,519
really elaborate so in closing I'm going

1503
00:58:02,559 --> 00:58:07,869
to tell you about what we're doing right

1504
00:58:03,519 --> 00:58:09,309
now we have after our first funding and

1505
00:58:07,869 --> 00:58:11,019
now I can show them the Lester Holt

1506
00:58:09,309 --> 00:58:12,549
piece we've actually had a couple local

1507
00:58:11,019 --> 00:58:14,950
news stories that have gone off very

1508
00:58:12,549 --> 00:58:17,380
well but we got another additional group

1509
00:58:14,950 --> 00:58:19,569
of funding to work specifically with the

1510
00:58:17,380 --> 00:58:21,059
Alzheimer's Association of Colorado and

1511
00:58:19,569 --> 00:58:23,249
we have had the same

1512
00:58:21,059 --> 00:58:24,989
this is truly a group of grannies there

1513
00:58:23,249 --> 00:58:26,789
are six women that have been coming to

1514
00:58:24,989 --> 00:58:28,619
us I think we have them scheduled for

1515
00:58:26,789 --> 00:58:31,189
six sessions and they're in their fourth

1516
00:58:28,619 --> 00:58:32,969
or fifth session so we're building

1517
00:58:31,189 --> 00:58:34,949
sometimes we don't even say do you

1518
00:58:32,969 --> 00:58:37,049
remember it's not a good way to lead I

1519
00:58:34,949 --> 00:58:38,939
do you remember what we did last week so

1520
00:58:37,049 --> 00:58:41,159
I got rotten and our students not to do

1521
00:58:38,939 --> 00:58:43,229
that but every week we set up with a

1522
00:58:41,159 --> 00:58:45,419
different activity one week we took a

1523
00:58:43,229 --> 00:58:48,179
tour of the murals and met in the alley

1524
00:58:45,419 --> 00:58:49,679
because I'm in the really lower downtown

1525
00:58:48,179 --> 00:58:52,919
area of Denver there's some fantastic

1526
00:58:49,679 --> 00:58:54,659
mirrors murals and then we worked on our

1527
00:58:52,919 --> 00:58:56,249
own tag and we made sure that everyone

1528
00:58:54,659 --> 00:58:57,839
had a tag that they were happy with

1529
00:58:56,249 --> 00:58:59,699
whether they could remember it the next

1530
00:58:57,839 --> 00:59:02,339
week or not didn't matter so they keep

1531
00:58:59,699 --> 00:59:03,989
coming back to it and one day we have

1532
00:59:02,339 --> 00:59:07,229
that film crew a local film crew come in

1533
00:59:03,989 --> 00:59:08,819
we're very popular you know I think

1534
00:59:07,229 --> 00:59:10,499
we've had more film crews about granny

1535
00:59:08,819 --> 00:59:12,719
doing graffiti than we did in the

1536
00:59:10,499 --> 00:59:14,699
previous 20 years so I have to work on

1537
00:59:12,719 --> 00:59:16,949
that but we have that local film crew

1538
00:59:14,699 --> 00:59:18,329
come in and we have one of our

1539
00:59:16,949 --> 00:59:21,359
participants her name's Betty and

1540
00:59:18,329 --> 00:59:23,009
Betty's a flirt I mean Betty likes to

1541
00:59:21,359 --> 00:59:25,919
flirt that's just kind of anything oh

1542
00:59:23,009 --> 00:59:27,419
how are you you're so handsome four

1543
00:59:25,919 --> 00:59:29,549
while she was flirting with me and I'm

1544
00:59:27,419 --> 00:59:31,499
man enough to say I kind of liked it I'm

1545
00:59:29,549 --> 00:59:35,159
okay with that but the guy with the

1546
00:59:31,499 --> 00:59:38,519
camera I mean the reporter oh my god hi

1547
00:59:35,159 --> 00:59:40,709
this is model nude I am I'm a lot of

1548
00:59:38,519 --> 00:59:43,380
things I am NOT a model but she was like

1549
00:59:40,709 --> 00:59:46,249
boom to him I thought man they're going

1550
00:59:43,380 --> 00:59:49,019
home together I don't want to know hi

1551
00:59:46,249 --> 00:59:51,019
but this is just who this woman is and

1552
00:59:49,019 --> 00:59:53,579
and the woman that brings them down

1553
00:59:51,019 --> 00:59:54,900
their caregiver she's she's like you

1554
00:59:53,579 --> 00:59:56,419
have that he's a flirt she loves to

1555
00:59:54,900 --> 00:59:58,079
flirt that's just part of who she is

1556
00:59:56,419 --> 01:00:00,209
well last Monday

1557
00:59:58,079 --> 01:00:02,789
well what's today Wednesday so two days

1558
01:00:00,209 --> 01:00:04,409
ago they came in and we were working on

1559
01:00:02,789 --> 01:00:05,640
doing a mural and if anyone's interested

1560
01:00:04,409 --> 01:00:07,349
I'll show you a couple of the pieces

1561
01:00:05,640 --> 01:00:09,390
that we were doing this is sort of the

1562
01:00:07,349 --> 01:00:11,219
pre graduation before we do a bigger

1563
01:00:09,390 --> 01:00:13,049
mural and they've decided they want to

1564
01:00:11,219 --> 01:00:16,200
incorporate dragons into their mural I

1565
01:00:13,049 --> 01:00:18,640
don't know where that idea came from

1566
01:00:16,200 --> 01:00:19,660
but anyway Betty came in and as soon as

1567
01:00:18,640 --> 01:00:23,110
she walked in the door

1568
01:00:19,660 --> 01:00:27,340
I knew something was wrong there was

1569
01:00:23,110 --> 01:00:29,710
that look that look she was afraid there

1570
01:00:27,340 --> 01:00:30,550
was something that was making her

1571
01:00:29,710 --> 01:00:32,440
uncomfortable

1572
01:00:30,550 --> 01:00:35,110
and I recognized that look from my

1573
01:00:32,440 --> 01:00:37,060
mother I recognize that look now from

1574
01:00:35,110 --> 01:00:38,830
time and time and time again but Betty

1575
01:00:37,060 --> 01:00:41,440
walked in and there was something that

1576
01:00:38,830 --> 01:00:42,570
was not I mean she was just really not

1577
01:00:41,440 --> 01:00:44,740
having a good day

1578
01:00:42,570 --> 01:00:45,760
like okay this is going to be

1579
01:00:44,740 --> 01:00:48,430
interesting because up until this point

1580
01:00:45,760 --> 01:00:49,960
we've been fairly fortunate I mean we

1581
01:00:48,430 --> 01:00:51,280
see these people for a couple hour

1582
01:00:49,960 --> 01:00:52,870
blocks of time you really don't get to

1583
01:00:51,280 --> 01:00:56,650
know them like I know alyn lind but I

1584
01:00:52,870 --> 01:00:59,170
knew they just look better you okay we

1585
01:00:56,650 --> 01:01:03,090
got our situated and this is the beauty

1586
01:00:59,170 --> 01:01:05,350
about what we do is it's a team effort

1587
01:01:03,090 --> 01:01:06,730
they're all in this together and nobody

1588
01:01:05,350 --> 01:01:09,760
has to do anything the deal amount to do

1589
01:01:06,730 --> 01:01:10,900
but we sat them down outside on the wall

1590
01:01:09,760 --> 01:01:12,130
that we were working on and we were

1591
01:01:10,900 --> 01:01:14,620
explaining what we were going to do and

1592
01:01:12,130 --> 01:01:17,680
we demonstrate a lot and I kept watching

1593
01:01:14,620 --> 01:01:19,270
her and you know anyone that know how

1594
01:01:17,680 --> 01:01:20,950
many of you know that look you know what

1595
01:01:19,270 --> 01:01:23,950
I'm talking about right it's a little

1596
01:01:20,950 --> 01:01:25,810
freaky innit it's like okay because you

1597
01:01:23,950 --> 01:01:27,970
know there's something going on that's

1598
01:01:25,810 --> 01:01:30,010
making her that incredibly uncomfortable

1599
01:01:27,970 --> 01:01:32,350
but after we'd been at it for a while I

1600
01:01:30,010 --> 01:01:35,500
know this something I noticed she had

1601
01:01:32,350 --> 01:01:37,360
relaxed she wasn't breathing as much as

1602
01:01:35,500 --> 01:01:38,620
quickly she wasn't looking around like

1603
01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:40,600
oh my god the sky is falling

1604
01:01:38,620 --> 01:01:42,910
she just sort of fell into that that

1605
01:01:40,600 --> 01:01:46,210
routine so it's that little bit more

1606
01:01:42,910 --> 01:01:47,590
comfortable and at the end of the day we

1607
01:01:46,210 --> 01:01:49,420
finished up what we were doing and they

1608
01:01:47,590 --> 01:01:50,680
were all leaving that's okay by Betty

1609
01:01:49,420 --> 01:01:51,090
and she turned around and she winked at

1610
01:01:50,680 --> 01:01:54,820
me

1611
01:01:51,090 --> 01:01:57,490
and I was like okay at the beginning of

1612
01:01:54,820 --> 01:02:00,280
the talk I told you I am NOT a lecturer

1613
01:01:57,490 --> 01:02:02,080
per se I'm a storyteller I'm also not a

1614
01:02:00,280 --> 01:02:03,610
researcher I can't give you the numbers

1615
01:02:02,080 --> 01:02:05,890
of why this is working but I've seen it

1616
01:02:03,610 --> 01:02:06,220
firsthand what we're doing what you're

1617
01:02:05,890 --> 01:02:09,580
doing

1618
01:02:06,220 --> 01:02:11,830
there's something here all right the one

1619
01:02:09,580 --> 01:02:14,680
thing that I do regret I regret that I

1620
01:02:11,830 --> 01:02:16,690
left that day to go back to the gallery

1621
01:02:14,680 --> 01:02:19,120
I wish I would have sat down and just

1622
01:02:16,690 --> 01:02:21,310
colored with my mother I didn't have

1623
01:02:19,120 --> 01:02:22,470
that but fun there some really amazing

1624
01:02:21,310 --> 01:02:27,170
and interesting things

1625
01:02:22,470 --> 01:02:29,280
happen and I told you early on that I

1626
01:02:27,170 --> 01:02:32,099
convinced myself that I wasn't creative

1627
01:02:29,280 --> 01:02:33,510
and artistic right so I know that sounds

1628
01:02:32,099 --> 01:02:35,099
really odd well you've run an Art Center

1629
01:02:33,510 --> 01:02:37,290
but I was convinced for the longest time

1630
01:02:35,099 --> 01:02:39,359
I wasn't creative or artistic in any way

1631
01:02:37,290 --> 01:02:42,869
and the best I could do was draw from

1632
01:02:39,359 --> 01:02:44,820
the things that you all in museums would

1633
01:02:42,869 --> 01:02:48,060
set up on the wall because that was my

1634
01:02:44,820 --> 01:02:50,070
art education but as my mom was in the

1635
01:02:48,060 --> 01:02:52,770
final months of her life I started

1636
01:02:50,070 --> 01:02:55,619
drawing I started creating because I

1637
01:02:52,770 --> 01:02:58,290
needed something I could control so now

1638
01:02:55,619 --> 01:02:59,880
I'm not ready to say I'm an artist I am

1639
01:02:58,290 --> 01:03:01,950
really ready to say I'm a creative and

1640
01:02:59,880 --> 01:03:03,960
the best part of my job is I get to

1641
01:03:01,950 --> 01:03:06,330
share that excitement about creativity

1642
01:03:03,960 --> 01:03:09,359
with everyone from preschoolers to

1643
01:03:06,330 --> 01:03:11,580
people that are in their 90's actually

1644
01:03:09,359 --> 01:03:14,910
we had one guy there was a hundred so I

1645
01:03:11,580 --> 01:03:19,190
want to encourage you if you will to

1646
01:03:14,910 --> 01:03:22,310
remember it's really never too late

1647
01:03:19,190 --> 01:03:22,310
thank you

1648
01:03:24,430 --> 01:03:27,540
[Music]

1649
01:03:31,349 --> 01:03:38,459
does anyone have any questions come on

1650
01:03:34,989 --> 01:03:38,459
all right there we go

1651
01:03:40,919 --> 01:03:45,099
yeah well we had them for six sessions

1652
01:03:43,209 --> 01:03:50,249
the grip that we're currently with so

1653
01:03:45,099 --> 01:03:50,249
they have one more session yeah yeah

1654
01:03:55,140 --> 01:04:01,959
absolutely and that is something that's

1655
01:04:00,399 --> 01:04:03,279
actually an excellent question a lot of

1656
01:04:01,959 --> 01:04:04,419
the people that we work with they might

1657
01:04:03,279 --> 01:04:06,519
have arthritis or they might have

1658
01:04:04,419 --> 01:04:07,929
something to do we figured out a couple

1659
01:04:06,519 --> 01:04:09,909
different ways first of all the two

1660
01:04:07,929 --> 01:04:11,589
finger approach really really works the

1661
01:04:09,909 --> 01:04:13,390
idea of getting really close really

1662
01:04:11,589 --> 01:04:14,529
really works and then we've also got the

1663
01:04:13,390 --> 01:04:16,390
point where somebody else can hold the

1664
01:04:14,529 --> 01:04:18,219
canvas and we can put a board on it so

1665
01:04:16,390 --> 01:04:19,449
you have a little bit more leverage so

1666
01:04:18,219 --> 01:04:20,199
we have addressed some of those I mean

1667
01:04:19,449 --> 01:04:22,659
that's something that I'm really

1668
01:04:20,199 --> 01:04:24,729
comfortable with I mean we paint with

1669
01:04:22,659 --> 01:04:26,349
wheelchairs so we can figure out some of

1670
01:04:24,729 --> 01:04:30,729
that type of thing pretty easily there's

1671
01:04:26,349 --> 01:04:32,769
also a trigger that you can buy where

1672
01:04:30,729 --> 01:04:34,289
it's more of a grip to put onto this

1673
01:04:32,769 --> 01:04:46,809
brake cam

1674
01:04:34,289 --> 01:04:48,399
yes either one or well up until this

1675
01:04:46,809 --> 01:04:50,109
group that we've had now we it's been a

1676
01:04:48,399 --> 01:04:53,019
mixture the group that we're working

1677
01:04:50,109 --> 01:04:54,789
with now that has the six grandmother's

1678
01:04:53,019 --> 01:04:56,769
there they're coming from one place and

1679
01:04:54,789 --> 01:04:58,719
they've already approached us about

1680
01:04:56,769 --> 01:05:01,029
going to them and painting the wall in

1681
01:04:58,719 --> 01:05:02,859
their actual facility but up until this

1682
01:05:01,029 --> 01:05:05,909
this group it has always been just a

1683
01:05:02,859 --> 01:05:11,049
one-off it had been a to everything oh

1684
01:05:05,909 --> 01:05:12,040
hell no of course you are anywhere funny

1685
01:05:11,049 --> 01:05:16,330
boys like me

1686
01:05:12,040 --> 01:05:18,550
haier papers on that basis somehow or we

1687
01:05:16,330 --> 01:05:20,680
haven't gotten that far we've been

1688
01:05:18,550 --> 01:05:22,740
relying on community foundations and

1689
01:05:20,680 --> 01:05:25,420
some some other kinds of support i

1690
01:05:22,740 --> 01:05:26,290
imagine that somebody who had a larger

1691
01:05:25,420 --> 01:05:28,660
staff and a little bit more

1692
01:05:26,290 --> 01:05:30,400
administrative minded would probably be

1693
01:05:28,660 --> 01:05:31,960
able to figure that out but right now

1694
01:05:30,400 --> 01:05:34,600
this is really just a problem that's

1695
01:05:31,960 --> 01:05:57,520
sort of in its infancy for us the

1696
01:05:34,600 --> 01:05:58,870
funding is always an issue but yes i

1697
01:05:57,520 --> 01:06:01,330
personally believe that those two things

1698
01:05:58,870 --> 01:06:03,490
are very often creativity and artistry

1699
01:06:01,330 --> 01:06:05,320
or different things and i think that

1700
01:06:03,490 --> 01:06:08,650
what we confuse what i confused as a

1701
01:06:05,320 --> 01:06:11,910
young child was my coloring book piece

1702
01:06:08,650 --> 01:06:14,080
wasn't artistic it didn't have the

1703
01:06:11,910 --> 01:06:16,540
aesthetic that somebody was looking for

1704
01:06:14,080 --> 01:06:19,240
i believe personally i believe i am

1705
01:06:16,540 --> 01:06:21,390
creative off the charts i really suck at

1706
01:06:19,240 --> 01:06:23,650
being an administrator i have been

1707
01:06:21,390 --> 01:06:25,540
white-knuckling it for so long just to

1708
01:06:23,650 --> 01:06:28,030
be around all of this creativity so my

1709
01:06:25,540 --> 01:06:30,490
belief is the creativity it's sort of

1710
01:06:28,030 --> 01:06:31,750
that essence that drive to create

1711
01:06:30,490 --> 01:06:33,460
something and it doesn't have to be

1712
01:06:31,750 --> 01:06:35,080
pretty I've been making artwork now for

1713
01:06:33,460 --> 01:06:36,130
two years that nobody other than my wife

1714
01:06:35,080 --> 01:06:38,650
has ever seen

1715
01:06:36,130 --> 01:06:41,530
but that drive just to control the

1716
01:06:38,650 --> 01:06:43,930
environment artistry to me implies

1717
01:06:41,530 --> 01:06:46,600
mastery you're working towards something

1718
01:06:43,930 --> 01:06:48,520
a scale building it the very simple act

1719
01:06:46,600 --> 01:06:50,830
of creativity I believe it's just let's

1720
01:06:48,520 --> 01:06:52,870
experience us and we can learn so much

1721
01:06:50,830 --> 01:06:55,570
by just being open to the idea of

1722
01:06:52,870 --> 01:06:57,190
creativity let's see what happens let's

1723
01:06:55,570 --> 01:07:01,240
see what happens when we give him a

1724
01:06:57,190 --> 01:07:03,070
spray can he took over she was like okay

1725
01:07:01,240 --> 01:07:04,810
I'm in charge here and he was making

1726
01:07:03,070 --> 01:07:06,490
color selections and all of that but to

1727
01:07:04,810 --> 01:07:07,990
me that's the difference between your

1728
01:07:06,490 --> 01:07:09,850
conformity and creativity we all

1729
01:07:07,990 --> 01:07:11,650
understand through the coloring book but

1730
01:07:09,850 --> 01:07:13,300
to me when you're starting to get into

1731
01:07:11,650 --> 01:07:16,099
artistry you're talking about skill

1732
01:07:13,300 --> 01:07:18,619
mastery in those types of things okay

1733
01:07:16,099 --> 01:07:21,920
the project I'm a financial guy so it

1734
01:07:18,619 --> 01:07:25,069
cost per person that is available on the

1735
01:07:21,920 --> 01:07:28,459
atmosphere and absolutely yeah I don't

1736
01:07:25,069 --> 01:07:29,599
know how I mean I'll be honest and and

1737
01:07:28,459 --> 01:07:32,930
this is one thing that I think it really

1738
01:07:29,599 --> 01:07:35,959
is important to realize I have one

1739
01:07:32,930 --> 01:07:38,180
employee so my job quite honestly is to

1740
01:07:35,959 --> 01:07:41,269
hustle I don't know if it's scalable I

1741
01:07:38,180 --> 01:07:42,469
imagine it's scalable if we ever wanted

1742
01:07:41,269 --> 01:07:46,099
it to get bigger we would have to

1743
01:07:42,469 --> 01:07:47,420
obviously get more more funding it's

1744
01:07:46,099 --> 01:07:48,890
just somebody gave us some funding this

1745
01:07:47,420 --> 01:07:50,239
is what we said we were going to do and

1746
01:07:48,890 --> 01:07:53,799
this is what we're doing but it keeps

1747
01:07:50,239 --> 01:07:56,329
growing and getting built built bigger

1748
01:07:53,799 --> 01:07:58,609
at the moment but we've worked with five

1749
01:07:56,329 --> 01:08:00,640
or six different groups and then now so

1750
01:07:58,609 --> 01:08:04,849
to get back to the financial question

1751
01:08:00,640 --> 01:08:06,199
yeah I don't know um we could probably

1752
01:08:04,849 --> 01:08:07,219
figure out and what we would do is

1753
01:08:06,199 --> 01:08:09,019
figure out how much we're paying the

1754
01:08:07,219 --> 01:08:10,759
artist and the materials and that kind

1755
01:08:09,019 --> 01:08:13,039
of stuff but we could definitely figure

1756
01:08:10,759 --> 01:08:18,710
that out I just haven't had a need to

1757
01:08:13,039 --> 01:08:21,889
just yet sorry there was a disclaimer at

1758
01:08:18,710 --> 01:08:23,920
the beginning cinnamon yeah and you have

1759
01:08:21,889 --> 01:08:23,920
a

1760
01:08:24,020 --> 01:08:37,460
about how you work or specifically the

1761
01:08:33,770 --> 01:08:39,620
graffiti or just in general well see I'm

1762
01:08:37,460 --> 01:08:42,560
we're located in an art district so I

1763
01:08:39,620 --> 01:08:43,790
run a gallery on any given first Friday

1764
01:08:42,560 --> 01:08:45,140
of the month we'll have a thousand to

1765
01:08:43,790 --> 01:08:49,490
1,500 people walk through our front door

1766
01:08:45,140 --> 01:08:50,990
so we're pretty pretty well set having

1767
01:08:49,490 --> 01:08:52,640
done this as long as I've done I know

1768
01:08:50,990 --> 01:08:54,260
all of the well-known artists around

1769
01:08:52,640 --> 01:08:56,270
town they give us money for fundraising

1770
01:08:54,260 --> 01:08:58,819
events and that kind of stuff so I get a

1771
01:08:56,270 --> 01:09:01,339
feel for sort of a good teacher as

1772
01:08:58,819 --> 01:09:02,930
opposed to who's more of just just a

1773
01:09:01,339 --> 01:09:04,160
pure on artist so the ones that I feel

1774
01:09:02,930 --> 01:09:07,520
like the guy that I showed you that I

1775
01:09:04,160 --> 01:09:10,069
pointed out is not he is brilliant he is

1776
01:09:07,520 --> 01:09:12,049
the best natural teacher I've ever seen

1777
01:09:10,069 --> 01:09:13,520
so I don't know if I mentioned this but

1778
01:09:12,049 --> 01:09:15,170
the corporate artwork that was standing

1779
01:09:13,520 --> 01:09:17,930
behind them we didn't use a paintbrush

1780
01:09:15,170 --> 01:09:19,640
on that thing at all he was able to talk

1781
01:09:17,930 --> 01:09:21,560
about shape and color and that was for

1782
01:09:19,640 --> 01:09:22,850
an architectural firm but then there's

1783
01:09:21,560 --> 01:09:24,680
some artists quite honestly rot ah the

1784
01:09:22,850 --> 01:09:26,870
the graffiti artist he's not a great

1785
01:09:24,680 --> 01:09:28,310
natural teacher we're working with him

1786
01:09:26,870 --> 01:09:30,020
on that so a lot of times I'll just take

1787
01:09:28,310 --> 01:09:32,150
the lead on the sort of the teaching

1788
01:09:30,020 --> 01:09:33,680
part but you also get a feel for it

1789
01:09:32,150 --> 01:09:36,529
after a while and then we have another

1790
01:09:33,680 --> 01:09:39,980
artist who I adore him but yeah we don't

1791
01:09:36,529 --> 01:09:42,109
ever leave him alone with not not for

1792
01:09:39,980 --> 01:09:44,900
anything like weird yeah yeah he's not a

1793
01:09:42,109 --> 01:09:47,319
he's not a good teacher so kind of gut

1794
01:09:44,900 --> 01:09:47,319
feeling yes

1795
01:09:51,050 --> 01:09:54,840
we just give them to can their

1796
01:09:53,130 --> 01:09:57,090
participant they're equal they're doing

1797
01:09:54,840 --> 01:09:58,200
it at the same time and that's I didn't

1798
01:09:57,090 --> 01:09:59,790
talk a lot about my beliefs about

1799
01:09:58,200 --> 01:10:03,030
collaborative art that there's a certain

1800
01:09:59,790 --> 01:10:05,130
pressure you know this is what I truly

1801
01:10:03,030 --> 01:10:07,740
believe this if I ask you all to draw

1802
01:10:05,130 --> 01:10:10,070
something on your paper right now some

1803
01:10:07,740 --> 01:10:12,390
of you are going to get anxious right

1804
01:10:10,070 --> 01:10:14,040
but if I ask you to sit down and draw

1805
01:10:12,390 --> 01:10:16,050
with somebody some of that pressure goes

1806
01:10:14,040 --> 01:10:18,360
down so when the caregivers are there

1807
01:10:16,050 --> 01:10:19,800
they're equal participants and the lady

1808
01:10:18,360 --> 01:10:22,290
who was talking about her mom that was

1809
01:10:19,800 --> 01:10:23,610
going like 90 miles an hour she had so

1810
01:10:22,290 --> 01:10:25,200
much fun at first she was reluctant now

1811
01:10:23,610 --> 01:10:27,180
this is for her this is for her and I

1812
01:10:25,200 --> 01:10:29,340
kept encouraging her no this is for both

1813
01:10:27,180 --> 01:10:30,600
of you and by the end she was in there

1814
01:10:29,340 --> 01:10:32,790
doing it together and there was a shared

1815
01:10:30,600 --> 01:10:35,040
experience that I can guarantee you mom

1816
01:10:32,790 --> 01:10:36,480
may not remember I don't have any

1817
01:10:35,040 --> 01:10:38,840
earthly idea she does but I can

1818
01:10:36,480 --> 01:10:41,850
guarantee you the daughter remembers it

1819
01:10:38,840 --> 01:10:44,910
yeah I'm just elated her question about

1820
01:10:41,850 --> 01:10:48,200
caregivers what were people our

1821
01:10:44,910 --> 01:10:51,720
responses and energy and the first to go

1822
01:10:48,200 --> 01:10:57,300
anticipating a project and so the one

1823
01:10:51,720 --> 01:10:58,770
off we started that one off we did the

1824
01:10:57,300 --> 01:10:59,850
first few sessions we did like with

1825
01:10:58,770 --> 01:11:01,830
Freeman in the Train

1826
01:10:59,850 --> 01:11:03,630
we went to them we didn't have anyone

1827
01:11:01,830 --> 01:11:05,640
other than paid caregivers there that

1828
01:11:03,630 --> 01:11:07,020
day then I realized that that was part

1829
01:11:05,640 --> 01:11:09,690
of the equation that we needed to follow

1830
01:11:07,020 --> 01:11:11,430
up on so the next time we had the group

1831
01:11:09,690 --> 01:11:13,470
start coming to us and we made sure that

1832
01:11:11,430 --> 01:11:15,450
the groups knew that they could anyone

1833
01:11:13,470 --> 01:11:17,000
could come along anyone was welcome and

1834
01:11:15,450 --> 01:11:19,620
the group that we're working with now

1835
01:11:17,000 --> 01:11:21,720
their caregivers aren't coming along

1836
01:11:19,620 --> 01:11:22,980
with them because it's a set day program

1837
01:11:21,720 --> 01:11:25,320
but they'd be more than welcome

1838
01:11:22,980 --> 01:11:26,790
sometimes a daughter or actually one of

1839
01:11:25,320 --> 01:11:28,860
the ladies has her sister in the other

1840
01:11:26,790 --> 01:11:31,440
day and you know oh no it's not for me

1841
01:11:28,860 --> 01:11:33,360
i'ma get is if you're here so I can do

1842
01:11:31,440 --> 01:11:36,680
that know if you're here you're going to

1843
01:11:33,360 --> 01:11:41,989
help us pain so thank you

1844
01:11:36,680 --> 01:11:41,989
[Applause]