DALLAS: Once a month, 82-year-old Julie Biles visits the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra.
But Ms Biles comes for more than art appreciation – she visits for dementia therapy.
Since 2007, the gallery has run an art program for people living with dementia.
The Art and Dementia program aims to improve the wellbeing of those affected and to help them overcome social isolation, which so often accompanies the progression of memory loss and confusion.
Trained educators and carers guide small groups around the gallery during weekly tours, in which the participants are encouraged to discuss artworks and find their own creative inspiration.
Ms Biles has been part of the program for the last two years…