Memories In The Makingâ„¢ Gallery Of Art
Friday evening, the 13th Annual Memories in the Making Art and Wine Auction took place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. The beautiful art that was auctioned off was created by people who live with Alzheimer’s disease. Their art is a tangible means of expression that speaks to their families, their professional caregivers, and to the public. We’ve featured some of the pieces below, along with biographical sketches of the artists.
The inspirational and successful evening raised funds for the Alzheimer’s Association’s mission of eliminating Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; providing and enhancing care and support for all affected; and reducing the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
Bouquet by Lily H.
Lily’s painting, Bouquet, was chosen as the signature piece setting the theme for the 2016 Memories in the Making Art & Wine Auction.
Her art abilities are formidable: She has a fine arts degree and worked as a layout artist at Macy’s for 35 years. Lily painted and drew many of the “Painted Ladies” of San Francisco, and would take off on solo painting trips along the Coast and into the gold country of California.
Lily has come full circle and continues to create masterpieces in the Memories in the Making watercolor group at Aegis of San Francisco.
Desert Sunset by Bill F.
Bill is truly a Renaissance man. He sang at Carnegie Hall, he completed a graduate degree at age 72 in Art History at UC Berkeley, and he paints in the Memories in the Making group at Catholic Charities Adult Day Services in San Carlos.
Bill was born in San Francisco and has 3 adult children, 1 grandson and 1 great grandson. He is a dedicated Giants fan and enjoys a rousing game of dominos.
Rooster by Jean A.
Jean was born in Gary, Indiana. She is the mother of 5 daughters, grandmother of 5 and great grandmother of 5.
Her life centers around her family and her love of the arts. She was also a composer and a church organist. She loves to listen to piano music, and only wishes she could have learned to play the drums.
Jean loves the opportunity to make art in the Memories in the Making group at Aegis Living of Pleasant Hill. She is a prolific painter and has an astute eye for color and composition.
Mount Rushmore by Robert J.
Robert was born in New York. He spent 4 years in the U.S. Navy as a draftsman, and afterwards received a BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and a Master’s degree from California State University at Los Angeles.
Robert was a professor at Dominican College in New York and keeps his art skills sharp in the Memories in the Making group offered at the VA in Menlo Park.
Island Ferry by Margaret G.
Margaret was from Palo Alto, worked as a nurse tech at Valley Medical Center, and volunteered for years at the San Jose Airport and the Santa Clara Senior Center. She had 3 adult children and numerous grand and great grandchildren.
She was the social butterfly at Pacific Gardens. Margaret’s sense of humor came out when she took part in the Memories in the Making watercolor group. Sadly, Margaret passed away recently. Her spirit will be missed.
Basket of Flowers by Lily H.
Lily’s life has been one adventure after another. She was born in Germany and came to the United States in 1927 at the age of 3. She completed her fine arts degree in Ohio and, following the call of the Rosie the Riveter posters, helped produce munitions for the war effort.
In 1954, Lily drove solo across the country, in her Studebaker, to San Francisco. She quickly found the artists and beatniks in North Beach.
She met and married her husband and they embarked on a European sojourn lasting more than 2 years. Lily has a son, a daughter-in-law, and one granddaughter who are devoted to her care.
Untitled by Chikara T.
Chikara was born in rural Stockton and raised in Half Moon Bay. He has 3 sons and 1 daughter.
When WWII hit, he and his family were interned at Topaz War Relocation Camp in Utah. After the war, Chikara worked as an artist for 48 years for the U.S. Army designing recruitment posters.
He enjoys outings to the ocean, playing bingo, and painting in the Memories in the Making group at Gordon Manor.
Canary by Polly H.
Polly is from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has 3 children, 5 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Polly was a school librarian and has had her art published.
She enjoys outings to the zoo, botanical gardens, and museums.
Polly has contributed many paintings to the Memories in the Making Auction, helping us further the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Helpful information related to this post:
- Learn more about the Memories in the Making Art and Wine Auction
- See photos from the event
- Make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association
Have all the paintings been sold?
Yes, they have all been sold at this point.
I’m about to do some serious begging. I’m emailing because I’m hoping you’ll share this with your support groups. My dad was diagnosed 7 years ago with frontotemporal dementia at the age of 65. He passed away at the beginning of February, and I’ve decided the time has come (while the memories are still fresh) to write a book about my family’s journey with dementia. I’ve been blogging about our experience for the last year and a half or so, so about half of the book has already been completed. I’ve also created over 35 paintings about my dad and our experiences, and I’m planning on including those images in the book since sometimes art can express emotion for which words are insufficient.
What does this have to do with you? Well, I’ve launched a campaign on Publishizer.com where you can pre-order the book for as little as $7. The site works with publishers, and if I can get at least 500 pre-orders by April 30th, the site will pitch my proposal to 41 publishers in my category. This would mean that I could get a book deal without having to send out endless queries and receive endless rejections. It would also mean I wouldn’t have to spend a fortune self-publishing, though I will do so if necessary.
You can see my whole proposal and pre-order your copy (or copies!) at https://publishizer.com/fractured-memories/. And please, when you’re done, if you can think of anyone who might be interested, pass the link on to them. If you’re not interested in pre-ordering, it would still be helpful if you would do anything to help spread the word. I really need your help, so thank you in advance!
Thanks,
Emily Page