BOULDER ARTISTS DONATE WORK TO ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION MEMORIES IN THE MAKING® ART AUCTION

A chair leg, buttons, and even an old violin come together to create the lifelike characters in the sculpture, The Music of Life, created by Boulder professional artist Vicki Anderson to mirror the images in the watercolor Walking Tall painted by Jim Lander a local Alzheimer’s artist.

Plein air artist Sallie K. Smith, of Boulder, created Timeless, to pair with a watercolor, An Old Timer, which was painted by Carol Patterson, an Alzheimer’s artist. The pairing offers two different perspectives of beautiful Colorado scenery in the fall.

Sallie K. Smith and Vickie Anderson of Boulder have donated original artwork to pair with watercolors created by people with Alzheimer’s disease for the Alzheimer’s Association Memories in the Making® Art Show and Auction which will be held Thursday, June 12 from 5:30 – 10 pm at INVESCO Field at Mile High.

The art auction benefits the Alzheimer’s Association and provides guests with the opportunity to bid on 65 pieces of artwork created by people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as well as artwork donated for the event by professional local artists.

Beautiful artwork is created by those with memory impairment in 45 Alzheimer’s Association Memories in the Making art classes held weekly throughout metro Denver/Boulder. In January of every year the Denver metro area Memories in the Making (MIM) sites submit all of their artwork to be juried for the annual MIM Auction in June. This last year 2600 pieces were submitted, and 70 were chosen by a jury of professional artists for display and auction at the Denver event including four artists from three care communities in the Boulder/Louisville area. Of these 70 pieces, many are “paired” with the work of a professional artist.

After the jurying process, professional artists are invited to view all of the work and choose one piece with which to pair. They then create a piece that may be similar in color, composition, subject matter, style or in some way ties into the artwork created by the MIM artist. The two pieces are then auctioned together at the annual Denver MIM art show and auction.

The 13th Alzheimer’s Association Annual Memories in the Making Art Show and Auction will take place on Thursday, June 12, 2008, from 5:30 - 10 p.m. at
INVESCO Field at Mile High
United Club Level
East Lounge
Denver, CO
$165 for individual tickets, $85 for those 35 and younger

ALZHEIMER’S ARTWORK: The Alzheimer’s Association Memories in the Making® is a creative art expression program for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Even after people with dementia have lost the ability to use words, they are often able to express thoughts, emotions and memories through painting with watercolors. The experience offers an opportunity for the essence of who they are and what they care about to shine through.

PROFESSIONAL ARTIST PAIRINGS: The auction will feature 30 pairings, which means that a professional piece of art is paired with an Alzheimer’s painting that has a similar or related subject. John Fielder, Bruce Gomez and Roxanne Rossi are just a few of the artists who will contribute an original piece to complement the Alzheimer’s artwork. The two works will be auctioned together as a pair.

ART PALETTES: The art auction will also feature over 50 art palettes painted by local professional artists to be sold at the silent auction. Similar to the Mask Project in variety, these palettes vary from soft, whimsical nature scenes to contemporary bold designs and three-dimensional creations. This is an opportunity to expand your horizons and meet new and exciting as well as established artists. The palettes offer the opportunity to start collecting the work of a favorite artist like David Harms at an affordable price. Collect one or two a year and start a palette collection.

For more information or if you would like to volunteer please call: 303-813-1669 or visit www.alz.org/co