The Overture Center will host “Total Visibility,” an evening of dialogue, art and action focused on raising Alzheimer’s awareness in the Madison community, tonight from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Rotunda Stage. Local artists and experts will explore the impact of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in the Black community, through creative expression and powerful stories.
The free panel discussion begins at 6:15 p.m., spotlighting local artists Dr. Fabu Carter, Tracy Nickolaus, Alicia Rheal and Catrina Sparkman as they share their creative efforts to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and its deep impact on families and communities. Guests can enjoy heart-healthy refreshments in the Rotunda Studio during the reception, with time to mingle and connect with the panelists for deeper conversation and insight.
About the panelists:
● Dr. Fabu Carter, poet and senior program manager for the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, will speak about the disproportionate impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the Black community and discuss initiatives aimed at combating the disease.
● Tracy Nickolaus, exhibiting artist, will discuss her portrait work blending paint and textiles and how her personal experience with dementia and caretaking has influenced her artistic journey.
● Alicia Rheal, an artist and member of the Memory Collectors, will share her connection to Alzheimer’s and her Legacy Quilt Project, which combines portraits and domestic textiles to honor the memories and histories of individuals affected by Alzheimer’s. Rheal’s artist statement reflects the depth of her work:
“In 2023, I joined the Memory Collectors. This group of senior women uses arts and healthy choices to fight against the onset of Alzheimer’s—a disease that took my own father. Working with these incredible women inspired the Legacy Quilt Project. Each small quilt is a collaboration with the subject using meaningful fabrics as a base for the integration of a portrait inspired by their narratives.”
● Catrina Sparkman, founder of Ironers Press, The Creators Cottage and the Memory Collectors Storytelling Project, will highlight her community efforts to fight Alzheimer’s through art, quilting, storytelling and promoting healthy lifestyle choices such as exercise and nutrition. Sparkman’s Memory Collectors Storytelling Project emphasizes the importance of community support and artistic expression in delaying the onset of dementia.
