Artist in Residence

The Artist in Residence program at the Memory Hub aims to enhance the lives of people with memory loss and their families through creative arts engagement, inspire local artists to explore the intersection between their craft and the lived experience of dementia, and promote dementia awareness among the general public. The program takes place annually in Fall quarter (September – December), with a slot for one Artist in Residence. The Artist in Residence can be a practitioner of any type of art form (visual arts, music, dance, theater, etc).

  • Plans and implements a way to integrate their art form into programs offered by at least two Memory Hub on-site collaborator organizations (UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center, Frye Art Museum, Alzheimer’s Association, Elderwise, and/or Full Life Care), and at least one off-site program such as at a nearby retirement community

  • Shares about their project during a public “meet and greet” event and final showcase

  • Works with the Memory Hub communications lead to share project content and updates on social media, newsletters, website

  • Spends time on-site on a regular basis; attending Memory Hub meetings and events where feasible

Information about applying for the Fall 2025 Artist in Residence program will be available in Spring 2025. For more information, contact Marigrace Becker, 206-543-2440, mbecker1@uw.edu.



 

Learn about the 2024 Artist in Residence

 

The Memory Hub welcomes Julia Becke, MD, as our first Artist in Residence. Dr. Becke is a board-certified internist at the UW Roosevelt General Internal Medicine Center and came to her medical training with a background in dance and dance education. Working at the crossroads of medicine and art, she brings a passion for offering dance-making workshops that are optimized for people living with memory loss or dementia.

Learn more about Dr. Julia Becke and her project

 



The Culmination of ‘Dancing Together’ Enchants with a Seated Dance Performance Born of Collaboration

Via UW Medicine

On May 1, 2025, the Memory Hub Artist in Residence Dr. Julia Becke led a very special final performance of "Dancing Together" at the Frye Art Museum. Dancers from Elderwise, The Terraces at Skyline, and the Alzheimer’s Café at the Memory Hub who have been participating in this project throughout the quarter, came together for a shared seated dance experience inside the Frye Art Museum’s salon. 

Nicholas Swatz | UW Medicine

Unlike many dance performances that you may have attended, “Dancing Together” was a participatory dance experience showcasing the movements developed over the last quarter with the various groups with whom Dr. Becke danced.

These included members of the Elderwise adult day program, residents at Skyline, participants in the Frye Art Museum’s Alzheimer’s Café, and more – coming together in this event as one large dance community.

Nicholas Swatz | UW Medicine

Throughout the performance, spectators moved together to music, exploring different dance styles and having fun with familiar songs. Based on adaptive dance programs for people with cognitive impairment developed by Canada's National Ballet School, “Dancing Together” is also appropriate for people who require assistive mobility devices such as canes, walkers and wheelchairs.

Nicholas Swatz | UW Medicine

The choreography for the performance was a collaborative effort inspired by two paintings on exhibit in the Frye Salon at the Frye Art Museum where the performance took place. Afterwards, Dr. Becke was presented with a special homage painting to one of those works, created by memory by a member of the Elderwise adult day program. Participants also went home with a red rose to memorialize their time shared together. •