Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/20/2018
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Minneapolis artist Brant Kingman loved to stop by and visit with his mom, Polly, over a cup of coffee in the morning, or glass of wine at night. Then, in her mid-80s, Polly was diagnosed with dementia. She began to lose her short-term memory and some of her language. Brant would continue to visit, but the conversations soon began to frustrate him as he continued to answer the same questions again and again. He found himself cutting his visits short.
Brant Kingman and his mom, Polly, working on a sculpture
Then, turning to his livelihood, art, a light came on for Brant. They sat together at Polly’s dining room table, like they often did, but this time, Brant handed his mom a colored pencil. Brant found that his visits lengthened as they sat quietly, creating art together. Since those first days at his mom’s dining room table, Brant and Polly have made hundreds of drawings, post cards and even sculpture together. Some of their joint artistic process was exhibited in Minneapolis and received a front page write-up in the StarTribune.
“In interactions with people, which are so often word-based, it can go quickly to frustration,” Brant told the Star Tribune. “Art sort of gives you a bridge to get beyond that.”
Join us for our next Mind Opener Breakfast on Tuesday, February 20th, where we’ll welcome Mr. Kingman as he goes in-depth into his caregiving journey with his mom, and how creativity led to a more meaningful connection.
Mind Opener:
Art For Dementia – Finding Peace & Joy Through Creativity
With Brant Kingman
Tuesday, February 20th
7:30a-8:30a
Downtowner Woodfire Grill
253 7th St W
St. Paul, MN 55102
About Brant Kingman: Artist Brant Kingman maintains a 6,800 sf studio in Minneapolis, MN. Kingman trained himself by studying masterworks in the great museums of Europe after graduating from Amherst College in 1976. He lived in NYC for 7 years after returning from abroad, booking 62 shows in art venues such as the prestigious PS1 now run by MOMA. After being shot in the chest in 1982, Kingman returned to Minneapolis and for 16 years maintained a studio on Lake Minnetonka. Kingman now shows his paintings and bronze sculptures in galleries across the United States and in 10 foreign countries. Two of his paintings are currently on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.
Citizens League Mind Openers are sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota.
