Burford Theatre Arts is hosting an Art in the Moment workshop on Oct. 24, 2026. The class is for individuals with cognitive changes and their caregivers.
Fiona Harper, RN, BSN, a ReCode practitioner and certified adult home care operator, will direct the class along with local artist and arts board member Melanie Beltz and Arts Council and Burford Theatre director Teressa Hatfield von Buseck.
“The main hope we carry for each person in this workshop is that they can see they are still able to express what is inside,” Hatfield von Buseck said. Her vision for the event came from working in memory care communities as a certified dementia practitioner for several years. She noted that some of her greatest life lessons were learned from the wisdom of those who had lost their memories. She and Beltz hope to facilitate a space where the feeling of safety allows each participant to creatively tap into their authentic selves.
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“I love doing classes that challenge the way I teach. I love learning and this will be a new experience for me,” Beltz said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the results, the hope, the happiness from all of our participants.”
Harper has directed two geriatric behavioral health units and, for more than 28 years, has served as a registered nurse in geriatric behavioral health, emergency medicine behavioral health, behavioral home health and addiction treatment. She will bring her energy and expertise to the class by helping caregivers in their approach to caring for loved ones with memory loss.
“Everyone is worthy of quality of life, and this is just our little part in helping that happen for individuals with cognitive impairments,” Hatfield von Buseck said. “The art may not be appealing in man’s eyes, but it is beautiful in the fact it came from the mind of a person who still and will always matter.” Beltz and Hatfield von Buseck also noted that “at the Arts Center, we do not seek perfection — we seek empowerment through self-expression.”
The cost for the workshop is $40. It will be held on Oct. 24 from 2–4 p.m. at the Burford Theatre. To register, contact the Burford Theatre at 620-442-5895.
