SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Not old…but aging.
That’s how Syracuse Jewish Family Service describes the people it serves, a mindset meant to challenge common misconceptions about what aging looks like and what older adults are capable of doing.
Those ideas are on full display through Arts and Minds: A Showcase for Creative Aging, a program highlighting artists who are living with cognitive impairments but continue to create, express, and connect through art.
One of those artists is 75-year-old toy maker Gary Steffen.
Steffen has been living with Mild Cognitive Impairment, or MCI, for about 15 years. While he says he struggles to remember many things, his passion for creating remains constant.
“What it means is, I have memory problems,” Steffen said. “I’ll be doing something and I will forget totally what I started to do and my wife has to remind me.”
Despite those challenges, Steffen continues to design and make toys — a craft that not only brings him joy, but also purpose. He says creativity gives him an outlet to stay engaged and mentally active.
“This is one outlet for me to keep my brain active,” Steffen said.
Transcript
Mikey Lamarre: NOT OLD… BUT AGING… IS HOW THE SYRACUSE JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE DESCRIBES THEIR MEMBERS THAT MINDSET AIMS TO COMBAT THE MISCONCEPTIONS THAT COME WITH AGEISM AND WHAT THE ELDERLY ARE ABLE AND UNABLE TO DO
Gary Steffen: IT’S NOT ME, OKAY? IT’S MY STUDIO
Mikey: FOR 75-YEAR-OLD TOY MAKER GARY STEFFEN, HE’S UNABLE TO REMEMBER A LOT OF THINGS
Gary: MINIMAL COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. WHAT IT MEANS IS, I HAVE MEMORY PROBLEMS
Mikey: GARY IS ONE OF MANY ARTISTS THAT SUFFER WITH SOME SORT OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN THE ARTS AND MINDS SHOWCASE FOR CREATIVE AGING… HE’S BEEN LIVING WITH MCI FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS, AND ARTISTRY HAS BEEN PIVOTAL AMIDST HIS DIAGNOSIS
Gary: THIS IS ONE OUTLET FOR ME TO KEEP MY BRAIN ACTIVE
Hannah Pietra: THERE’S A LOT OF RESEARCH ON HOW ENGAGING PEOPLE IN ARTS AND WHATEVER MEDIUM THAT MIGHT BE, WHETHER IT’S VISUAL ARTS, MUSIC, CREATIVE WRITING, CAN TAP INTO MULTIPLE AREAS OF OUR BRAIN, BUT ALSO LOOK AT SOMEONE AS A WHOLE PERSON
Mikey: ARTISTRY AND MAKING TOYS MIGHT BRING GARY JOY WHILE HE BATTLES HIS CONDITION, BUT ONE THING BRINGS HIM PEACE
Gary: I ALWAYS HAVE A FEELING LIKE, WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT, AND WHERE IS THIS DISEASE GOING TO GO? WILL IT EVOLVE INTO ALZHEIMER’S? I DON’T KNOW. NO ONE CAN TELL ME. IT IS BY MY FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT I’M ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH EVERY DAY
Mikey: FOR NCC NEWS… MIKEY LAMARRE
According to Syracuse Jewish Family Service, programs like Arts and Minds are designed to help people with cognitive changes stay connected to themselves and their communities, while also pushing back against ageism.
“There’s a lot of research on how engaging people in arts — and whatever medium that might be, whether it’s visual arts, music, or creative writing — can tap into multiple areas of our brain,” said Pietra, a the organization’s Arts & Mind Coordinator. “But also look at someone as a whole person.”
Based on a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, 60% of visual art therapy participants with MCI reported improvements in cognitive functioning alone, while the remaining 40% of participants found broader benefits with significant improvements across cognitive, emotional, and/or other domains.
For Steffen, art is both therapeutic and grounding. While his condition brings uncertainty about the future, working with his hands gives him moments of clarity and calm.
But creativity isn’t the only thing helping him navigate life with MCI.
Steffen says his faith plays a central role in how he copes with the unknowns of his diagnosis.
“I always have a feeling like, what’s going to happen next, and where is this disease going to go?” he said. “Will it evolve into Alzheimer’s? I don’t know. No one can tell me. It is by my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that I’m able to make it through every day.”
Organizers say stories like Steffen’s are exactly why the showcase matters — not just to highlight art, but to redefine how aging is viewed.
The Arts and Minds: A Showcase for Creative Aging is on display in the Wilson Art Gallery at LeMoyne College until March 27.