What is The ART of the Matter and how did it come to be?
The ART of the Matter is a multimedia film festival and national ARTS tour that kicks off March 28 to 30, 2025, in Linthicum, Maryland, at the Maritime Conference Center, at the Expose Dementia Conference. The conference, an annual offering of the nonprofit organization by the same name, seeks to educate the community about dementia and its causes with a focus on arts and media.
Encompassing a comedy show, an art exhibition, and a film festival, The ART of the Matter will then be on the move with a series of 4 roadshows across the country. With the support of the Dementia Arts Impact Award, Expose Dementia and Dementia Spring are building art-based community in the dementia space in Maryland and beyond.
Headlining the film festival is Remember Me: Dementia in the African American Community, a documentary I produced and directed after I experienced the great need for education on dementia within our community.
Who initially inspired you to grapple with dementia?
When I saw my aunt for the first time after she began losing her memory, it broke me.
I deal with my emotions creatively. So, I wrote and produced a short film called, That’s My Brother. It takes inspiration from a piece of my aunt and cousin’s story, because my aunt called her daughter her sister. When I released the 7-minute film, I dedicated it to my aunt.
In debuting the film, I was asked a series of questions about dementia that I couldn’t answer. It started my quest to learn more: the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s; the more than 100 types of dementia; the impact dementia has on the African American community; and the journey of both people living with dementia and their care partners. This inspired my work on Remember Me: Dementia in the African American Community. This work is all a direct result of being impacted by my aunt’s journey.
How has working on dementia-related art changed you?
As a professional storyteller for more than 30 years, I have utilized my gifts and talents to create projects that make an impact. This includes articles, 21 books, including Exposing Dementia, photographs, more than 40 films, and stage productions on topics like mental health, domestic violence, and breast cancer awareness. Prompted by my family’s experience with dementia, I aim to use my gifts to educate, erase the stigma of dementia, provide respite opportunities for care partners, and encourage those living with dementia.
What are the next steps for The ART of the Matter?
The dementia community is excited about this year’s Expose Dementia Conference and subsequent roadshows. Together, we are taking a difficult journey for many and providing hope and resources to the people who need them most. Among those coming to the table are people living with dementia; care partners; art therapists; dance therapists; music therapists; Lego therapists; filmmakers; authors; painters; spoken word artists; and more. The ART of the Matter is set to create collaborative opportunities for all stakeholders, including community partners.
This work is dedicated to: The Cosby Family, especially Sheila L. Brown
Find more from C. Nathaniel Brown and Expose Dementia on LinkedIn and Instagram, its website, and YouTube.
