Artful Minds - Seminar on how art impacts the mind.

Presented by the Flint Institute of Arts Museum + Art School. Artful Minds offers a dynamic blend of hands-on workshops, inspiring talks, and creative resources. Experience how art fosters connection, memory, and well-being in this vibrant day for our community. 

Free to attend. Registration Required.

10:30am – 11:00am Check-in in the Lobby and Vendor Tables

11:00am – 12:15pm Lecture by Dr. Amy Elliot, PhD and Meghan Young, MGS

12:15pm – 1:30pm Lunch Break and Vendor Tables in Isabel Hall. (Free lunch provided for the first 150 registrants) 

1:30pm – 3:00pm Workshop (Choice of one)

Lecture

Opening Minds through Art: Supporting Cognitive Change through Creativity and Connection

Meghan Young and Dr. Amy Elliot - Miami University’s OMA program. 

Amy Elliot, PhD is a Senior Research Scholar at the Scripps Gerontology Center and Director of Opening Minds through Art (OMA), an innovative intergenerational art program that empowers individuals living with dementia through creative expression. Her research focuses on advances that support person-directed, inclusive, and equitable long-term care environments. Through her role at OMA, she demonstrates how creative engagement honors individual autonomy and builds meaningful relationships, directly translating the person-directed care philosophy into practice. Dr. Elliot brings extensive expertise in policy research, quality of life impact analysis, and program evaluation to her work. Her scholarship includes research publications, case studies, educational modules, and book chapters that have contributed to the field of person-centered gerontology. 

Meghan Brady, MGS, is the Senior Associate Director for Opening Minds through Art at the Scripps Gerontology Center. Her career in aging and the arts began during a service-learning course in her first year at Miami University, where she facilitated storytelling sessions for residents in nursing homes. Since then, Meghan has contributed to research projects focused on building age- and dementia-friendly communities, taught intergenerational service-learning courses, and supported long-term care providers in implementing arts-based programming. She believes that every person, regardless of age or ability, has the opportunity to share their stories through the arts.

Workshops

Participants have the opportunity to participate in one workshop. Please choose one of the following workshops listed below. Please note that two workshops include walking through the FIA’s Galleries. For those not interested in Art Making but want to learn more about Brain Health, The Alzheimer’s Association will offer their “Building Healthy Brain Habits” Education Program. The Artful Minds Program ends at the conclusion of your workshop.

Workshop 1

Explore Abstract Art-Making with Opening Minds through Art. A workshop for care partners and people with memory loss - Instructors Dr. Amy Elliot and Meghan Young

Explore the failure-free OMA approach by creating an original abstract painting with a simple step-by-step method. Each choice you make along the way will result in a unique piece that is all yours!

Limited to 20 participants - Studio 10

Workshop 2

Fused Glass Suncatchers  - Instructors: FIA Glass Team

Layer pieces of crushed glass to create a beautiful window hanging! Come ready with a design or pick from one of our templates. Suncatchers are 4"x4". Suncatchers must be fired before they can be taken home. Participants will receive an email when work is ready to be picked up (approximately 1 week after the workshop). 

Limited to 15 participants - studio 7

Workshop 3

You've Got Mail - Instructor: Tracy Cook

What if you could travel into an Impressionist painting? Inspired by our Johnson Gallery, create visually compelling miniature collage postcards from your adventure. Using a variety of materials, explore layering and collage techniques. Open to adults of all ages and abilities.

Limited to 20 participants. In the Johnson Gallery and Studio 1

Workshop 4

Build & Print! Collagraph Printmaking - Instructor: Courtney Hosler

Collagraph printmaking is a playful process where the print plate is built up to create high and low areas. Participants will create a relief printing plate by collaging and gluing cardboard, string, and other found materials. Then, the plates will be inked and hand-pressed to create unique prints exploring shape, texture and line.

Limited to 20 participants - Studio 11

Workshop 5

Pinch Control  - Instructor: Meiasha Gray

For this Workshop, students will be making pinch pots! The Instructor will demonstrate basic pinch techniques required to model a vessel shaped form from a solid ball of clay. Students will learn how to create consistent thickness in their forms by staying engaged and applying rhythmic and even pressure in every pinch. Students will also grasp a basic understanding of how to control the shape, and change shape direction in their forms. 

Limited to 20 participants - Studio 5

Workshop 6

Beyond the Visual: Gallery Learning Experience - Instructor Matthew Osmon

Join Matthew Osmon, FIA Director of Education, for a Gallery Learning Experience (GLEx) exploring how art can engage the brain, awaken the senses, and spark memory, conversation, and connection. Through close looking and multisensory activities incorporating sound, touch, smell, and more, participants will experience several works of art from the FIA collection in new and unexpected ways.

Limited to 25 participants, In the FIA Galleries, meet in the lobby

Workshop 7

Improvisational Artwork Inspired by Kandinsky! - Instructor Sandy Law

In this workshop we will create large improvisational artworks with paint and oil pastel using lines, shape, color, music, along with your senses and intuition. Kandinsky experienced color as sound and sound as color, come create and improvise!

Limited to 20 participants - Studio 12

Workshop 8

Building Healthy Brain Habits - an informational only presentation by the Alzheimer’s Association

Research shows there are everyday habits you can build today to help protect your memory and thinking as you get older – even reducing your risk of cognitive decline and possibly dementia. Join us to learn about healthy habits for your brain; the brain-heart connection; why brain health is important at all ages, and how to build your personalized action plan for brain-healthy habits. This workshop will not include any art making but will have information on how to participate in the FIA’s Creative Aging Programming. 

Limited to 20 participants - Sheppy Dog Meeting Room