Opening Minds through Art (OMA) was selected for a 2021 Maude’s Award for Innovation in Alzheimer’s Care, along with $25,000 in prize money.

Maude’s Awards recognize programs and projects of excellence that enrich the quality of life for persons living with dementia and that of their caregivers. The monetary awards were established in 2019 by Richard Ferry in honor of his wife Maude, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2015. The honors are awarded to organizations and individuals located in the United States.

“OMA is honored to be selected for this award. We continue to build intergenerational friendships through art-making. This prize will help us develop a virtual version of OMA that we are calling ScrippsAVID (Arts-based, Virtual, Intergenerational, and Dementia-friendly web-based application) so that we can reach more people,” said Director of OMA Dr. Elizabeth “Like” Lokon.

OMA is an award-winning, evidence-based, intergenerational art-making program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of neurocognitive disorders. Founded by Dr. Lokon in 2007, OMA is grounded in person-centered care principles.

It is headquartered at Scripps Gerontology Center, an Ohio Center of Excellence at Miami University. People with dementia (artists) are paired with volunteers (students, families, caregivers) who are trained to rely on imagination instead of memory and focus on remaining strengths instead of lost skills. OMA enables people with dementia to assume new roles as artists and teachers and leave a legacy of beautiful artwork. 

To learn more about OMA, visit the OMA website.