Art and Culture as Therapy at the Symposium for "Practitioners in Arts and Health" in MoMA Nov 18–20, 2025

It was a real privilege to be invited to take part in the Symposium for "Practitioners in Arts and Health" at The Museum of Modern Art in MoMA (Nov 18–20, 2025) and present scientific results of the project Art and Culture as Therapy and the network of museum projects in Iceland. Health and museum professionals, caregivers and artists met, shared and exchanged knowledge and experience, mainly about Dementia. An invaluable experience for all - celebrating the 20th anniversary of "Meet me at MoMA" program! 

 

What I take with me are many things, - the sessions on laugh, story-making, the great work of the artist Janine Antoni. The most immediate thoughts are that many museums offer specific programs for caregivers and they GREATLY appreciate that care shown to them. Also a question was brought up about how medical students are taught empathy. Often actors come into play, here museums could also play an important role.

 

From the perspective of the medicine and key speakers:

Susan Magsamen is the founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab), Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a faculty member in the Department of Neurology.

Ad, Mary Sano, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

 

A roundtable of international perspectives on Global Insights and Cultural Programming designed for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, was facilitated by Lara Schweller, Associate Educator of Access Programs and Initiatives, The Museum of Modern Art. 

Featuring: Halldóra Arnardóttir, PhD Art Historian and part-time teacher at Iceland University of the Arts; Adriane Boag, Program Convener, Access and Inclusion, National Gallery of Australia; Cristina Bucci, Coordinator MTA System, Museum of Tuscany Alzheimer’s; Evi Kaisari, Schools & Community Engagement Senior Manager, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.