Bright art from an unexpected source

UC Irvine is displaying vibrant, invigorating artwork in one of the campus’ science buildings — and it came from artists you may not expect, school officials said.

The eight pieces come from patients of UCI’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders.

Patients there suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and though institute employees admit you might expect something more dark and gloomy, their expression is anything but.

The paintings help doctors identify with their patients, who oftentimes have trouble communicating verbally, researchers said. Many times, people with dementia will express themselves in other ways, such as dance, music or art.

When patients with dementia experience something new and interesting, afterward sometimes they’ll paint, said Linda Scheck, community relations director for the institute. Even if they don’t remember they painted it after the fact, the message and sharing is still powerful, she said.

The public may view the artwork during the institute’s regular hours. An open house with docent tours will be available at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

— Joseph Serna