Arborvitae, the Arts + Literary Journal of the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, grew out of a desire to celebrate the creative and artistic community of the MAC, especially during times of tumultuous change. Creativity becomes a way to celebrate connection and resilience.
The Fein Memory and Aging Center has a tradition of engaging in artistic expression through the Artist in Residence program, Gallery 190, a partnership with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and similar collaborations. Many people with dementia discover a new passion for art as their language and memory skills decline. The language and emotions laboratories at the Fein Memory and Aging Center have found that people with dyslexia, a learning difference that affects how the brain processes language, exhibit enhanced creative and interpersonal skills. Healthy older adults often become more creative (or appreciative of art and music) as they age. And people working in aging and dementia care also engage in artistic endeavors. Art allows us to understand ourselves and the world around us and offers new channels for communicating emotions, thoughts, and concepts. Sometimes this differs from the scientific approach, and sometimes there are surprising and illuminating intersections.
Whether it is a healing practice or the pleasure of engaging the whole brain, many members of the Fein Memory and Aging Center family enjoy creative pursuits beyond their work. Arborvitae provides a space to celebrate and share these creative passions. The inaugural issue was produced in 2021 with the theme “The Strange and The Known”—an acknowledgment that seeing things from a new perspective can yield new revelations.
We hope you enjoy it.