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Cherished items and prized mementos can elicit strong emotions and a flood of fond memories.
Every object that someone holds dear has a meaningful story to go with it. Sharing those stories is a unique way to connect with others and create new memories.
With this in mind SUNY Oswego Professor Rebecca Mushtare and SUNY Gallery Director Michael Flannigan created Recollections, a project that uses objects to bring generations together to share and create stories.
Established in 2013 Recollection began as a project to educate college students about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia through the arts. The project included workshops using artworks to engage people affected by memory loss in conversation in a museum setting. Over the years Recollections has shifted its primary focus to older adults.
“We’ve held storytelling sessions at a number of adult care facilities in the area where we’ve engaged residents in sharing stories about personal mementos,” said Mushtare. “We also created stories using objects likely to remind them of their childhood or early adulthood. Using these stories, along with photographs of the individuals and their objects, our students created a physical exhibition. We have traveled throughout the area displaying the exhibition at various sites such as nursing homes and libraries.”
The Recollections exhibit was recently on display at Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Riverside Retreat Senior Dining lunch site at the Fulton Municipal Building. Several of the adults that regularly attend the center had participated in the Recollections project’s storytelling workshops and were thrilled to see the exhibition. They cheerfully discussed their stories, and enjoyed reading stories that others had shared.
“It was a wonderful experience,” said OCO Nutrition Services Program Manager Allison Griffin. “Many of those that participated in the project brought their mementoes with them and were anxious to show them to those that attended the exhibition and share with them why the object so special to them.”
It was interesting to see the impact that the Recollections project had on our consumers here at the center and how their stories created new connections and memories. We appreciate the work that Rebecca and everyone involved with the Recollections project has done and for bringing the exhibit to our dining and activity center.”
The Recollection Project will be on display at the Riverside Retreat Senior Dining lunch site at the Fulton Municipal Building until April 5th, 2024. To learn more about the Recollections project visit https://recollectionproject.net/
