Virtual Art Moves Me
Feb 3, 2022 11:00am — 1:00pm
*Update* The Museum will be due to COVID-19. This program has been moved to Zoom. Please read below for details on registering for this activity:
VIRTUAL Art Moves Me, a program for people with Parkinson's and care partners:
February 3 from 11 am to 1 pm
Recent studies and research have proven that a trip to the art gallery or museum can positively impact your health and mental well-being in several essential ways, like lowering anxiety and depression and boosting critical thinking skills. Each time you look at a piece of art, your brain is working to make sense of the visual information it's receiving. This occurs through a process known as embodied cognition, in which mirror neurons in the brain turn things like action, movement, and energy that you see in art into actual emotions you can feel.
You are invited to attend two free virtual Art Moves Me, classes! Enjoy guided group activities of "close looking" at artworks, interactive discussion, mindfulness and relaxation responses for mental wellness, and Parkinson's specific dance and movement. All can be done seated, from your chair at home.
Led by Cynthia Pegado, Dance for Parkinson's artist, and Kathy Shiroki, Burchfield Penney Art Center museum educator.
Call Cynthia Pegado at 716.262.8122 in advance to register. Participants must provide an email address and be able to use Zoom.
Last updated on February 1, 2022
Therapeutic Dance and Mindful Movement Program for People Impacted by Parkinson's Disease.
2022 Winter/Spring Session: Thursdays 11 am - 1 pm
January 6, 13
February 3, 10, 24
March 3, 10, 24, 31
April 7, 14, 21, 28
May 5, 12, 19
11:00-11:15: Arrival and sign-in
11:15-11:30: Guided gallery visit and interactive discussion
11:30-12:30: Centering, Breathwork, Guided dance improvisation
12:30-1:00: Movement meditation, Creative soundscape, Reflection
The Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State is excited to host the fourth season of the innovative award-winning program Art Moves Me, a free gallery-based dance and wellness program designed for people impacted by Parkinson's disease. One of only a few programs in the world to offer Parkinson’s-specific programming in an art museum setting, Art Moves Me at Burchfield Penney Art Center, distinguishes itself with an especially strong schedule of ongoing weekly experiences.
Created expressly for The Center by Cynthia Pegado, Art Moves Me guides participants into creative engagement with artworks through contemplative dance, sensory awareness, heightening of kinesthetic and proprioceptive senses, and sustainable practices to enhance emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Live music accompaniment is a key component in our circle of empathy and empowerment. A portion of each class is devoted to composing creative soundscapes with words, vocalized rhythm, gestural movement, and meditation instruments. Art Moves Me is firmly grounded in evidence-based therapeutic fundamentals of Dance for PD® while creating a unique experience inspired directly by the artworks on exhibit.
Mental health wellness for our WNY Parkinson's community is addressed and supported as a core focus of Art Moves Me, including movement meditation, mindfulness, self-expression, and collaborative presentations with Mental Health Advocates of WNY.
Open FREE to people with Parkinson's disease, Parkinsonisms, family members, care partners, and community friends.
Please pre-register for the FREE program, as space is limited to maintain compliance with COVID-19 safety precautions. All museum visitors are required to wear a mask.
To register, please call the Burchfield Penney Art Center (716) 878-6011 during museum hours of operation.
Art Moves Me is generously supported by a Community Grant from the Parkinson's Foundation.