NOOSA Residential Care has played host to an art exhibition exploring works through the theme of nature.
The display was held on Wednesday 2 November and included works produced by residents of Leigh wing, a high-care dementia unit within the centre.
Diversional therapist Leah Sullivan facilitated the art therapy workshops that were designed to encourage self-expression through the processes of art production.
Ms Sullivan said the benefits of using this particular method of art therapy, in combination with reminiscence, validated the residents and their stories within context to others.
“It is also a way of demonstrating to them that they are capable of adding beauty to the world for others to enjoy,” she said.
“The residents can lose themselves in the moment as they create their art.”
Through the process of art therapy, relationships are built, empathy is fostered, anxiety is lessened, visual boundaries are overcome and a sense of mastery or control over their environment is developed.
Art therapy helps enable the participants to discover new ways to express themselves and communicate.
“The art show was three months in the making and was enjoyed by all of the residents of the centre and by the families of our wonderful Leigh wing artists,” Ms Sullivan said.
