There’s even pieces by a quartet of artists who each worked with alcohol ink on Yupo paper to create artworks portraying waves and drawing on Japanese art traditions.
12 artists are featured in “Arts and Minds” , all of whom take part in expressive-art programs coordinated by Syracuse Jewish Family Service. That nonprofit agency is part of the continuum of care community of Menorah Park, a senior-living provider located in Dewitt.
During four-hour sessions on Thursday mornings, participants, who come from various local communities, engage in various activities: art, music, movement, drama and writing. These are people dealing with memory loss and mild cognitive impairment who benefit from activities in a peer-group setting.
Hannah Pietra, Arts and Minds coordinator for Syracuse Jewish Family Service and a clinician, says that the sessions are multifaceted; they are enjoyable, provide opportunities to learn new material, and involve participants in hands-on projects.
The current exhibition both celebrates creative expression, as seen in the artworks, and has text explaining how the program functions. For example, several of the works on display integrate crushed eggshells as a core material. Those pieces reflect sessions in which there was discussion of the tradition of using eggshells in art and instruction on how to actually utilize the technique.
Similarly, the exhibit documents how participants are exposed to varied artistic disciplines: watercolors, cyanotype prints and flower pounding. Gary S. worked with natural flowers and dye when he created “Fireworks in the Sky.”
Beyond that, the show presents work by a dozen artists who, as might be expected, have their own styles. We see both “Backyard Woodscape” by Mark C., which is dominated by green and gold colors and “Chatter,” an acrylic by Madeline B. that depicts two figures who aren’t overtly human but certainly suggest people. What’s most interesting is the way her painting conveys the duo’s body language.
And there are artworks that dovetail with personal reflections. That’s true for the four pieces building on Japanese wave art. Waves connote highs and lows, the journeys and rhythms of life.
The creative-arts sessions also have a group dynamic. Participants interact with each other, with Syracuse Jewish Family Service staff, volunteers, and student interns. Pietra says that’s the case on Thursday mornings and for Opening Minds through Art, another program initiative. It involves people living at Menorah Park, takes place every couple of months, and has an intergenerational component. College students interact with residents during OMA activities.
In summarizing the art-making programs, Pietra says they are intended to build skills, enhance memory, and offer opportunities for emotional processing and self-expression. During a January 13, 2026 reception at the gallery, she talked about humans as creative beings, emphasizing our capacity for creativity at all stages of life. Creativity doesn’t end when a person reaches a certain age.
In addition, she discussed how the “Arts and Minds” show has challenged stereotypes about aging and encouraged viewers to think about art as a gateway to personal growth. Since April, 2025, the current exhibition has traveled to various venues in Central New York: libraries, churches, and even the Redhouse Arts Center in downtown Syracuse. An earlier version of the show traveled around our region in 2024.
“Arts and Minds: A Showcase for Creative Aging” is on display through March 27, 2026 at the Wilson Art Gallery. Located on the first floor of the Noreen Reale Falcone Library, it’s open to the public and has no admission charge. The gallery is typically open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. For more information, call 315-445-4153.
The exhibition has received financial support from the Lillian Slutzker Family Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, the CNY Arts Grants for Regional Arts and Cultural Engagement regrant program, and various individual donors.
About the Author
Carl Mellor has written about exhibits and artists in Central New York for many years. He covered visual arts for the Syracuse New Times from 1994 to 2019 and currently writes about art for the Westcott Neighborhood Association website. His reviews have covered shows at many venues including the ArtRage Gallery, the Everson Museum, the Edgewood Gallery, the Community Folk Art Center, Light Work and the Munson Museum in Utica.
He’s happy to be collaborating with CNY Arts as a community partner. This is the first review he’s submitted to CNY Arts.
