From Velázquez to Picasso: Proposal of Artistic Mediation Activities for People with Dementia

Abstract

This paper describes the design of a program of activities of arts education for people with dementia based on visits to the Prado Museum and the Reina Sofia National Art Center Museum (Spanish anagram, MNCARS) of Madrid, and carried out by a team of researchers and artist-teachers. The program, called “Tenemos cita con el arte” (We have a date with art), in addition to the visits, included workshops of artistic activities. The basic aspects taken into account by the team of artist-teachers for the design of the itineraries in the two above-mentioned museums and the design of the artistic activities are specified. The museum itineraries, which included works of Velázquez and Goya (Prado Museum), and of Dalí, Juan Gris, Miró, Lipchitz, and Picasso (MNCARS) are described, as well as the artistic activities carried out by the participants, based on these itineraries. The considerations set out in this work can be extended to other are centers, so that they can be used as contexts for the promotion of the well-being and social inclusion of people with dementia by artist-teachers working in multidisciplinary teams.