Honoring My Grandmother Through Art and Dementia Advocacy” – #AAICSatellite2025 in Lima, Peru

Presenting my Pilot project during the Lightning Presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association Symposium 2025 in Lima, Peru

Many attendees at the recently concluded Alzheimer’s Association Satellite Symposium (#AAICSatellite2025) lightning Presentation session in Lima, Peru, may not have realized it, but stepping onto the stage for my 3-minute lightning presentation was a deeply emotional and reflective moment for me. It marked my very first scientific stage presentation as an artist, an experience that stirred vivid memories of my late grandmother. She was a beacon of hope who loved people and community. Her unwavering support for my artistic journey began in my childhood, and I must say her presence was strongly felt in that moment. Most profoundly, I remembered her experience with dementia before her passing in 2018. I know she would have been proud to see me there, using my voice and creativity as a vessel of hope for a condition she once lived with.

My grandmother was a gifted storyteller whose tales were windows into life, care, and community. Through her words, we, her grandchildren, learned values that shaped the biggest part of our lives as children. She was also a skilled craftswoman who often sat on a mat, crocheting or knitting with quiet grace and focus. I vividly recall a special moment during my art school graduation in 2016, when one of my artworks was auctioned off by the guests and gifted to her. It was a moment of honor and love, captured in one of the most cherished photos I have (Shown below)

Handing my late grandmother a painting that was auctioned at my graduation in 2016. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018 and sadly passed away later that year.

Fast forward, when she was diagnosed with alzheimers disease, she could no longer sit and knit and crochet easily like she used to. She could no longer share stories like before. She stopped attending many of the social events and was always in and out of the hospital, battling many other ailments on top of a gradual cognitive decline. These were heavy times for the immediate and extended family. An announcement that forced all of us into navigating fear, acceptance, and the many adjustments that come with such a life-altering condition. The biggest part we held onto was the wisdom and love she passed on to us that has helped continue to guide us as a family, and I personally, through my work with communities around the world.

Rodney Presenting at AAICSatellite2025 in Lima, Peru

At the #AAICSatellite2025 grand stage, I had the honor of presenting during the lightning presentation rounds, my proposed pilot project: “Indigenous Art for Social Engagement and Dementia Awareness in Northern Uganda.” This project explores:

• The profound impact of art and storytelling on my life, and on people living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers.
• How storytelling fosters deeper, more authentic connections among us.
• The role of indigenous knowledge in education and in building supportive systems for isolated older adults in low-income communities.
• And how collaboration between scientists, researchers, and artists can advance dementia research, diagnosis, and holistic care globally.

As an artist, I always asked myself how I could contribute to this global conversation around Alzheimers disease and other related dementias, its not until I joined the amazing Global Brain Health Institute community last year as an Atlantic fellow for Equity in Brain Health where through immense learning, networking, collaborations and exposure to different knowledge experts, leaders, reseachers and fellow Atlantic fellows, I am now more than committed through art and dementia advocacy to continue honoring not just my grandmother but many persons going through similar experiences. These could be either carers of persons living with Dementia or PLWDs themselves. Through sharing of values my grandmother once shared with us as grandchildren and remaining committed to championing these lived experiences through creativity and storytelling, we will dignify and honor aging populations across the world through empathy and creating inclusive spaces (Elders Creative Circles) where their narratives, creativity, and stories can thrive.

It was an immense honor to stand alongside incredible lightning presenters and changemakers. I’m deeply grateful to Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) and the Alzheimer’s Association for this platform. The symposium spotlighted the tireless work of researchers, clinicians, caregivers, artists, organizations, Atlantic Fellows, and other visionaries striving to improve research, care, and treatment of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

One of the most powerful moments of the symposium was the closing session, an intimate space where caregiver testimonies were shared with raw honesty and emotion. Hearing from Atlantic Fellows like Alex Kornhuber, Sonata Maciulskyte, Fernando Aguzzoli Peres, Mitchelle Memran, Sonia Sanches, and Sarah Cullum was both heartwarming and inspiring. It reminded us all of the urgent need to center and uplift caregivers of PLWD in this global conversation.