Gallery doors swing wide for seniors and supporters.

Mercy Care filled their buses Wednesday morning with seniors for a trip to the Moon Gallery at Berry College. But this wasn’t a regular fieldtrip. They were guests of honor at their own art exhibit, displaying their collective works from art therapy in Adult Day Health. Over fifty people — families, volunteers, Berry staff, nurses, and several other community members — awaited them as the art was unveiled.

“It was quite an emotional day,” said Justin Davis, behavioral health specialist at Mercy Care. “Seeing the reactions of the seniors as they saw their work displayed professionally for the first time was beautiful.”

The halls filled with supporters and the artists, some of whom have dementia and needed help identifying their work. Visitors walked alongside the artists through their displays and experienced the power of art therapy.

“The energy in the room was so special,” said Liz Molina, executive director of Mercy Care Rome located at 300 Chatillon Rd. “The patients couldn’t believe it was about them, that they had done this work. Everyone was so impressed. There were many tears of joy.”

Art therapy has been a component of Mercy Care’s Adult Day Health program for over a year. Through visual arts that focus on sharing memories and feelings — rather than capturing the external world — patients can communicate, relax, build confidence and express new and old parts of themselves. “It has been a remarkable tool for clients living with dementia,” said Molina. “It’s the perfect program for the people we serve.”

“My brother often doesn’t express what he’s really thinking, and I pray this program continues to help him communicate his thoughts and feelings in a positive, constructive manner,” said a family member who attended the exhibit. “It’s helped me better understand and relate to my brother.”

Collaborations like this between Berry College and Mercy Care provide unique opportunities for the community to celebrate the network and diverse hands that contribute to the wellbeing of aging adults in Rome.