The Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program was developed as a part of Scripps Gerontology Center's effort to understand the evolving issues of an aging society, provide leadership to enhance lives across the life course, and to meet the needs of an aging society. The specific goals of OMA are: To promote the social engagement, autonomy, and dignity of people with dementia by providing creative self-expression opportunities; To provide staff and volunteers with opportunities to build close relationships with people with dementia. To show the public the creative self-expression capacities of people with dementia through exhibitions of their artwork. Elizabeth "Like" Lokon, Ph.D. Elizabeth is the founder of the Opening Minds through Art (OMA), an art program for people with dementia. Like (pronounced "Lee-ka") is an educator, gerontologist, and artist (B.A. in art, The University of California at Berkeley; B.F.A., California College of Arts.; MGS in gerontology and Ph.D. in education from Miami University). She is a Research Associate at Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. She has presented her work in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and her publications include over 40 journal articles, chapters, instructional manuals, and books. Like continues to make art using fiber and glass. Curriculum Vitae
Irene Friedman, M.A. Irene is a visual artist with 30 years of art teaching experience at the middle school level in Ohio. She received her B.A. in art history and M.A. in art education from the University of Cincinnati. For the past 22 years, she has been a volunteer reader with Radio Reading Services of Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She has exhibited her artwork locally.
Brad Simcock, Ph.D. Brad has volunteered with the OMA programBrad has volunteered with the OMA program from the very beginning. He is a retired Professor Emeritus in Sociology from Miami University. Brad has extensive experience in both cross-cultural and diversity training in both Japan and United States. He views his retirement as an opportunity to bring some of the insights from his career to the training and development of volunteers and volunteerism in the field of aging.

The Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program was developed as a part of Scripps Gerontology Center's effort to understand the evolving issues of an aging society, provide leadership to enhance lives across the life course, and to meet the needs of an aging society.

The specific goals of OMA are:

To promote the social engagement, autonomy, and dignity of people with dementia by providing creative self-expression opportunities;
To provide staff and volunteers with opportunities to build close relationships with people with dementia.
To show the public the creative self-expression capacities of people with dementia through exhibitions of their artwork.

Elizabeth "Like" Lokon, Ph.D.

Elizabeth is the founder of the Opening Minds through Art (OMA), an art program for people with dementia. Like (pronounced "Lee-ka") is an educator, gerontologist, and artist (B.A. in art, The University of California at Berkeley; B.F.A., California College of Arts.; MGS in gerontology and Ph.D. in education from Miami University). She is a Research Associate at Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. She has presented her work in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and her publications include over 40 journal articles, chapters, instructional manuals, and books. Like continues to make art using fiber and glass.

Curriculum Vitae

Elizabeth Lokon

Irene Friedman, M.A.

Irene is a visual artist with 30 years of art teaching experience at the middle school level in Ohio. She received her B.A. in art history and M.A. in art education from the University of Cincinnati. For the past 22 years, she has been a volunteer reader with Radio Reading Services of Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She has exhibited her artwork locally.

Brad Simcock, Ph.D.

Brad has volunteered with the OMA programBrad has volunteered with the OMA program from the very beginning. He is a retired Professor Emeritus in Sociology from Miami University. Brad has extensive experience in both cross-cultural and diversity training in both Japan and United States. He views his retirement as an opportunity to bring some of the insights from his career to the training and development of volunteers and volunteerism in the field of aging.

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The specific goals of OMA are: