A paintbrush and canvas are just a few tools helping Alachua County’s seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders explore their creative sides while raising money for a good cause.
The seniors at Al’z Place, a day care facility for adults with Alzheimer’s and dementia-related conditions spent a week creating pieces of art through a program called Art Without Boundaries. The pieces of art will be put up for auction at its seventh annual Moonlight and Martinis gala Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Mercedes Benz of Gainesville, located at 4000 N. Main St.
“We run at a deficit every year,” said Robin Katz, program director at Al’z Place. “The goal of this event is to raise as much money as we can to continue to provide services to the seniors of Alachua County.”
The gala will have about 500 guests in attendance and is expected to raise about $60,000, Katz said. The paintings will be among several prizes available for auction, some of which include jewelry, a trip to St. Augustine and a guitar signed by members of the band Sister Hazel.
Although the paintings through Art Without Boundaries raise significant funds, Katz said that’s not the main reason Al’z Place continues with the program every year. It’s about the therapeutic value it has to its clients.
“They get that great feeling about the work that they’ve done,” she said. “Through music and movement and directed painting, our (seniors) each create these wonderful works of art.”
Mary Ellen Futch, a caregiver and certified nursing assistant who works at Al’z Place, said she notices a great change in the seniors after they complete their paintings.
“They don’t think they’re artists until they get through, and then they’re amazed at what they can do,” said Futch, an employee of 20 years. “They seem to be more verbal because they’ve done something they’re very proud of.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 1/31/2014 under the headline "Art auction to benefit Alachua senior citizens"]
