Poems written by residents of Centre Care nursing home’s memory care unit are on display throughout June in the Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery at Schlow Centre Region Library in State College.
An annual celebration of the nonprofit Ridgelines Language Arts’ semester-long program of the same name, “A Poem in Our Eyes” highlights the rich intellectual and creative capacities of those living with memory loss. Poems and images that inspired them will be on display, forming an exhibition that challenges conventional notions of disability and honors the imaginations of the participants.
Residents living in Centre Care’s memory support neighborhood meet weekly throughout the spring with Ridgelines teaching artist Robyn Rydzy and community volunteers Caryn Mackey and Britta Petrich. In each session, Rydzy distributes large photo prints of a colorful scene for the participants to look at. She then gathers the observations, memories and thoughts sparked by the picture to create a group poem on a whiteboard.
Mackey says that the true magic of “A Poem in Our Eyes” is the engagement with the program participants.
“The way that [Rydzy] faced them, got down close, made eye contact, smiled — it was exciting to see the residents respond,” she said. “For some of them they’d just been sitting there, waiting for something to happen. And now, something was happening and they were engaged. It was just beautiful, watching that room of people sitting, waiting and then lighting up.”
A primary goal of “A Poem in Our Eyes” is to provide rich intellectual experiences for those living with memory loss and increase mental and emotional well-being. The weekly sessions also foster social inclusion and provide a vehicle for communicating with others in a creative way. Each session aims to help participants feel that their words and imaginations are valued and provide them with the satisfaction of making something new.
“As the teaching artist, I let everyone know that we’re here to let our imaginations run loose—there are no right or wrong answers,” Rydzy said. “Whatever people say gets written on a whiteboard for all to see. Although my hand is involved in copying down and lineating the poems, all of the words and titles come directly from participants.”
Maria Burchill, head of Adult Services at Schlow Library, added: “As a librarian who strives to engage our community through meaningful, lifelong learning opportunities, I’m honored to partner with Ridgelines every June for ‘A Poem in Our Eyes.’ This show, and the program it represents, are outstanding community-building achievements.”
For people looking for ways to engage those living with memory loss through images, pictures, artworks, or other creative processes, these resources have been valuable to “A Poem in Our Eyes”:
- TimeSlips (www.timeslips.org) offers simple tools and training on bringing creativity into memory care.
- Pictures to Share (picturestoshare.co.uk) is a publisher of books designed to engage people with memory loss.
- “Creativity and Communication in Persons with Dementia,” by Claire Craig & John Killick (2012), outlines many kinds of creative projects designed for those living with memory loss.
Ridgelines’ 2025 programming at Centre Care is made possible in part by a grant from M&T Bank as well as support from individuals, local businesses and granting agencies, including Centre Foundation and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
