Community, Arts, Storytelling & Dementia

Everyone has a role to play in ensuring our province is a more inclusive place for people living with dementia and their care partners, and the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery is fully embracing this concept through their commitment to becoming more dementia friendly. As two collaborating partners of the Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan project in Yorkton, Melville, and the surrounding communities, the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan and Godfrey Dean Art Gallery of Yorkton are proud to announce a special dementia friendly reception.  

The reception will take place on Sunday, November 14^th from 1:00 - 3:00pm at 49 Smith Street East in Yorkton and will feature presentations from both our Dementia Community Coordinator, Jackie Hofstrand, and Jeff Morton, Director and Curator of the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery. Jackie will discuss her role of engaging businesses and organizations to become more dementia friendly and Jeff will introduce an exciting project that Godfrey Dean Art Gallery is seeking participants for, as part of Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan. The project, called Belong Where You Find Yourself, will follow a community-engaged art approach to highlight the voices of people affected by dementia, including people who are diagnosed and caregivers.

“Dementia is particularly challenging as its physical progression is compounded by social stigma and a lack of inclusion. ‘Belong Where You Find Yourself’ is a community intervention to address these challenges through art making and sharing stories from people living with dementia. The Godfrey Dean Art Gallery is incredibly grateful for this opportunity to collaborate as part of Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan, and for this opportunity to work with the Alzheimer’s Society of Saskatchewan and our other partner organizations." – Jeff Morton, Director and Curator of Godfrey Dean Art Gallery

Attendees may also participate in a dementia friendly guided tour of Melanie Monique Rose’s Flower People exhibit, which showcases vivid floral imagery to invoke stories of people, place, and the land.

To register for the this dementia friendly reception, please contact the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery at 1-306-786-2992 or email director@godfreydeanartgallery.ca . Admission is free and light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Dementia can be associated with loss, but collaborative action like this dementia friendly reception demonstrate that community changes everything. By working together, we can help reduce stigma, enhance inclusion and accessibility, and improve the quality of life of those affected by dementia.