Note, access to the Gallery will be intermittently disrupted on March 23 and 24 due to road closures. Learn more
[email protected] is a free virtual art-appreciation program, for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, and their care partners.
Each month, we look at and discuss a selection of art from the Gallery collection. Each program has a different theme, and features new works to explore. No prior experience or knowledge of art is required. Places are limited, so please book early.
Également offert en français. Veuillez voir Rayon d’art à la maison ici.
Program Schedule
Next Virtual Program
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
1:00–2:00 p.m. EDT
People and Relationships I
Places are limited
Sign Up for Free
Upcoming Virtual Programs
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
1:00–2:00 p.m. EDT
Highlights of the Gallery Collection II
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
1:00–2:00 p.m. EDT
People and Relationships II
About [email protected]
[email protected] is a virtual space for people living with dementia, and their care partners, who enjoy spending time with others to comfortably connect with art.
Specially trained Gallery educators highlight different works of art from the Gallery collection during this interactive one-hour virtual program. Group size is limited, to allow all participants to share ideas, stories, memories and questions.
To join us, you need a computer, a web camera, and a free Zoom account. To learn more about joining a Zoom meeting, please read this page. For more information, please email [email protected] or call Andrea at (613-714-6000 Ext 6209).
Slow Looking Video
Look carefully together at the painting Heroine from the Old Testament by Rembrandt van Rijn with Educator Andrea Gumpert. You’ll decode the artist’s stories and develop your own visual language.
History
of SPARK!
The SPARK! program was launched in 2016 at the National Gallery of Canada. It was modelled on the Museum of Modern Art’s well-known Meet Me: The MoMA Alzheimer’s Project, as a way of allowing individuals with dementia, and their care partners, to engage with art in a safe, welcoming and social manner.
In collaboration with the Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County (DSORC) (formerly the Alzheimer’s Society), Gallery staff are trained in dementia sensitivity. SPARK! participants explore and exchange ideas about art, enjoy intellectual stimulation, make connections between personal stories and the world at large, access personal experiences and long-term memories, and participate in meaningful conversations that foster personal growth. In addition, care partners benefit from art-inspired exchanges with their partners, as well as social interaction with others facing similar challenges. All participants are encouraged to experience moments of “wonderment and awe,” as they enjoy a period of respite in an extraordinary space where everyone is respected, included and engaged.
In mid-March 2020, when Gallery staff were directed to work from home due to the pandemic, a pilot project was launched to develop a virtual SPARK! program. By Fall 2020, [email protected] was being offered once a month via Zoom. Participants can thus continue to enjoy moments of connection through Gallery artworks, whether they need to isolate, face various barriers, or simply live too far from downtown Ottawa. [email protected] continues to welcome previous and new participants.
In describing one of the virtual programs she hosted in 2021, Laurence wrote: “It was a pretty nostalgic program today. We remembered those mornings at church and the texture of our floral couches! Everyone had a great time and we laughed together.”
NGC
MAGAZINE