Artstreams was created in 2008 after Kathleen Burg, Director of the Chesed Project for Taos Seniors,
rec eived a phone call from a woman inquiring about the availability of a support group in Taos for caregivers
of those with dementia. She found there was none. A seed was planted which grew into Artstreams,
the program.

 

Since then, we have provided monthly Caregiver Support meetings. Our goal is to provide a safe haven

for members to share their experience, challenges and stories with others who are in the same situation.

We join together in a confidential circle to listen and share experiences about our personal situation. In this
way, more experienced members can assist the newer members "up the ladder." Our conversations include

up-to-date information on the latest research and treatment options.

 

"Meet Us at the Museum" brings family members, partners, friends and community members
to selected Taos museums or galleries, even to the Taos Fire Department Art Collections.  We
encourage conversations about the color or content of paintings or other media that bring up
past memories. The sessions are part story-telling, part history and myth, and respite and social
networking. Artists whose work we are discussing sometimes join the group with lectures and

demonstrations of their techniques. Laughter is a big part of each session. A special part of our
program is when we invite local musicians, who play New Mexican music, to join us.  As musician
Jimmy Killingsworth observes, “The sonic landscape of the old music matched the visual landscapes
and portraiture of the pictures in an uncanny and wonderful way. The talk with you and the
audience also merged WITH the music to make an extraordinary experience.”

 

Our Collaborators are the Taos Center for the Arts, University of New Mexico Harwood

Museum-Taos, Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos Art Museum, Taos Fire Department Art

Collection, Stables Gallery and artists who open up their rich collections to Artstreams.

Other collaborators are the New Mexico Dementia and the Arts in Santa Fe and New 

Mexico  Alzheimer's Association.