Memory Collectors Storytelling Project
Photo from Memory Collectors Website
Memory Collectors Storytelling Project
Memory Collectors is a quilting program that brings women together to share stories, creativity, and connection. Through the art of quilting, participants find community, preserve memories, and support emotional well-being. The Memory Collectors Storytelling Project (MCSP) was launched in 2022 in response to the disproportionately high rates of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the Black community—nearly twice that of white Americans. Created to support the successful aging of Black women, the program focuses on promoting brain health, reducing stress, and strengthening social connections through creative arts such as quilting, storytelling, and writing. Its foundation is informed by emerging research, including findings from the Mayo Clinic, showing that artistic engagement can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
The Visionaries Behind the Program
The Memory Collectors Storytelling Project (MCSP) was launched in 2022 in response to the disproportionately high rates of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the Black community—nearly twice that of white Americans. The program focuses on promoting brain health, reducing stress, and strengthening social connections through creative arts such as quilting, storytelling, and writing.
MCSP was founded by Catrina J. Sparkman, Artistic Director of the Creator’s Cottage and founder of IP Ministries in Madison, Wisconsin. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience as a theater artist, authorpreneur, and community leader, Sparkman created MCSP to bring together storytelling, cultural preservation, and health equity through an artist-led, community-centered initiative.
A key collaborator in shaping the project was Dr. Fabu Carter, a literary artist and Senior Program Manager with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). Through her long-standing friendship and creative partnership with Sparkman, Dr. Carter helped connect MCSP with the ADRC and the African Americans Fighting Alzheimer’s Disease in Midlife (AAA-FAIM) study. She also provided brain health expertise, introduced Sparkman to UW–Madison scientists, and helped build a community partnership that brought scientific and financial support to the project. Together, Sparkman and Carter helped grow MCSP into a powerful intersection of art, storytelling, and Alzheimer’s awareness.
Over the span of the project the MCSP leadership team expanded to include Artist-in-Residence Alicia Rheal (2022), a visual artist and Bianca Williams, an educator and project manager (2024). Together, this team has built a program that centers the well-being of Black women while remaining open and welcoming to participants of all backgrounds.
Interested in Joining?
This group is for women ages 55 and up. Women under the age of 55 are encouraged to join as volunteers.