About the Cover Artist: Grow, Grow, Grow Your Boat by Lester E. Potts, Featuring Bringing Art to Life

The cover art for this month’s issue was created by Lester E. Potts, Jr. (1928-2007), the late father of this issue’s guest medical editor, Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN. Lester became a client at Caring Days Adult Daycare in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where he participated in their expressive arts programs. Although Lester had shown no artistic ability or interest in painting prior to his diagnosis, he fell in love with watercolor painting, creating over 100 unique pieces of art, many of which were expressive of his early memories and life experiences.

After experiencing the positive effects creating artwork had on his father, Daniel C. Potts founded Cognitive Dynamics, a non-profit organization whose mission is “to improve the quality of life of persons with cognitive disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease) and their caregivers through education, research, and support of innovative care models which promote human dignity, especially therapies employing the expressive arts and storytelling.”

One of the programs offered through Cognitive Dynamics is Bringing Art to Life (BATL), which was developed in collaboration with the University of Alabama. The purpose of this program is to bring art therapy and life story preservation to persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Each semester 5 to 8 participants with dementia who are living in community-based settings are selected for participation in BATL and are paired with 2 to 3 undergraduate or graduate students. Before starting art therapy, students are given weekly instruction on Alzheimer disease and other dementias, person-centered care techniques, art and other expressive arts therapies, caregiving, and mindfulness. They are also taught the importance of honoring and preserving the life story of individuals with dementia.

Cognitive Dynamics is interested in collaborating with other institutions to expand the reach of Bringing Art to Life. For more information about the program, please visit https://www.cognitivedynamics.org/contact or send an email to info@cognitivedynamics.org.

Lester’s artwork is available for purchase at https://www.lesterslegacy.com