Summer Art Camps 2025
OMA
(Opening Minds Through Art)
Opening Minds through Art (OMA) is an award-winning, evidence-based, intergenerational art-making program for people living with dementia. It was developed at Scripps Gerontology Center, an Ohio Center of Excellence at Miami University, in 2007. People living with dementia (artists) are paired with volunteers who are trained to rely on imagination instead of memory and focus on remaining strengths instead of lost skills. OMA enables people living with dementia to assume new roles as artists and teachers and leave a legacy of beautiful artwork.
Jacoby is excited to offer this opportunity to those living with dementia. Age segregation in our society has caused people across generations to see each other as strangers. By connecting people across generations via direct, regular interactions centered around the arts, we build positive attitudes about each other in a joyful way.
OMA is offered at Jacoby Arts Center in 8 week sessions, led by experienced facilitator Chris Baker and volunteer students from the SIUE Art Therapy department. Our warm, welcoming community arts center is the perfect space in which to create beautiful, meaningful art work.
Artists
Any person living with dementia is welcome to sign up to work with the OMA program. The only requirement is that they can get to our location at 208 State Street in historic, Downtown Alton, Illinois. Interested Artists do not need to have any previous artistic experience to enjoy and benefit from participating in OMA. Caregivers do not need to stay and are encouraged to get a break during program time. Questions about if your loved one might be a good fit? Please reach out to Program Facilitator Chris Baker at cbaker2720@gmail.com.
Cost for the 8 week session is $80. This fee covers all materials and facilitation for the session and is non-refundable. The Fall 2026 session will begin on Saturday, September 19th from 10:30-11:30am.
