British neurologist and bestselling author Oliver (Awakenings) Sacks noted that enjoying art is not just a visual experience — it’s an emotional one: “In an informal way I have often seen quite demented patients recognize and respond vividly to paintings and delight in painting at a time when they are scarcely responsive to words and disoriented and out of it. I think that recognition of visual art can be very deep.”

So it is promising to see that a visual art program for people with memory challenges, developed to create a safe environment for art appreciation and art creation, is returning for another free, five-week session, on Thursday mornings, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. from April 28 to May 26. It organized by Windemere Nursing Rehabilitation Center, with Featherstone Center for the Arts, Granary Gallery and the Field Gallery.

This series will be led by Vineyard artist, Nancy Cabot, who is also the leader of the watercolor group at Howes House and Windemere’s Art Club. Open to the community, each meeting is either centered on talking about art or creating art. The art making sessions use a variety of mediums: collage, print, watercolor or sculpture. With about 10 participants, everyone has the opportunity to express their feelings during the art appreciation sessions and use the materials during art creation.

“We understand the fear that comes with the onset of memory challenges, and art has the potential to allow the individual to become immersed in an experience that is familiar, calming and restorative,” explains Mary Holmes, Windemere’s memory care program director.

“One of the most difficult aspects of memory loss is the fact that so many see this as a tragic end, rather than a new stage of life. Life does not end with memory obstacles, and creating programming that embraces possibility is what we do really well at Windemere.”

To register for Art and Memory, call 1-508-862-1933.