17 July, 2023
August 29 - September 29, 2023
Lotvin Family Gallery
Hopkinton Center for the Arts
98 Hayden Rowe St.
Gallery Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm, Saturday & Sunday, 9am–2pm
The Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA) announces a moving exhibition that will open on August 29th. Created by artist Joe Wallace, “The Day After Yesterday: Portraits of Dementia” delves into multifaceted aspects of dementia, including physical, emotional, community, and health care issues. The exhibition of portraits juxtaposes images of individuals living with dementia with younger photographs of the subjects, accompanied by brief narratives about their lives.
The goal of this travelling exhibit is to destigmatize those living with dementia. To tell a more complex and complete story of those living with the disease and its effect on their families and loved ones. As one man featured in the exhibition noted, “Don’t believe the narrative that life is over. I want my voice to help get people to treat us the same as they did before we got the diagnosis. We may change some, but we are the same people!”
Wallace feels strongly that an artist must not be afraid to show not only the fear, loss and despair, but also the love, connection, dignity, and powerful humanity that always remain—in the subjects, in the care-partners, and in the families and communities. That is the only path to evolve the narrative and have a positive social change.
Trained as a journalist, Joe Wallace has been a portrait photographer and storyteller for twenty years. Like many, Wallace has a deeply personal connection with dementia. His maternal grandfather and hero, Joe Jenkins, had Alzheimer’s. His maternal grandmother Elizabeth Ponder (Bebe) had vascular dementia. And in recent years, his mother Barbara has begun her journey with the disease.
The gallery exhibition at the HCA comes just ahead of the September 30th release of Wallace's new book: "The Day after Yesterday: Resilience in the Face of Dementia" which is available for pre-sale online. One reviewer noted that the book is "a deft combination of narrative and portraiture that breaks the taboo around dementia, replacing the fear and futility with empathy and nuance."
Entrance to HCA's Lotvin Family Gallery to view the exhibition is always free. The HCA is also pleased to offer private and group docent tours upon request. For more details, call 508-435-9222 or visit the HCA's website at www.hopartscenter.org
