By: Dean Vaglia | Mount Clemens-Clinton-Harrison Journal | Published February 23, 2026
MOUNT CLEMENS — Between art exhibitions and a plethora of classes, the Anton Art Center is adding a memory cafe to its slate of programs starting this month.
“Afternoons at Anton” will be held on the last Thursday of every month from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the gallery located in Mount Clemens starting on Thursday, Feb. 26. Attendees will be able to sip coffee from Clinton Township’s Che Cosa Roasting Co. while taking part in activities.
“We’ve done similar programming in the past,” said Matt Matthews, executive director of the Anton Art Center. “We partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association in the past to provide some programming for adults living with dementia or memory loss, but recently Culture Source had a grant opportunity with the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation to support memory cafes. We went through a process with Culture Source and went through some training … and we decided this was a great opportunity for us to build on something we’ve done in the past in a more formal way.”
Memory cafes are a social setting designed to let people with dementia and their caregivers socialize and find support. According to Kayla Dietz, program manager at the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter, memory cafes allow people with memory loss and caregivers to break free of the social isolation of the condition.
“There’s over 200,000 people here in Michigan with Alzheimer’s disease, so we know that there’s a need to stay socially active, to have that fun,” Dietz said. “I think memory cafes allow a very easy and fun way to do that.”
At the Anton Art Center’s memory cafe, attendees will be able to express themselves artistically through guided, hands-on projects like clay sculpting, painting or gardening. Live or recorded music will be played during the cafes, with some featuring sing-alongs. Poets, dancers and other performers will provide brief, interactive entertainment to engage attendees. And with not everybody being inclined to make art, other opportunities to engage the creativity of participants will be facilitated through storytelling, guided discussions and other means.
The plan is to keep the “Afternoons at Anton” running for as long as possible, with Matthews saying the Art Center will look for funding to sustain the program past the grant-provided funds. As for the goals of the program, Matthews says the art center just wants to serve a community.
“With all of our programs, we want people to enjoy their time at the Art Center,” Matthews said. “(If) this is a program and a community that can come in and enjoy their time at the Art Center and enjoy their experience at the Art Center, then this has been a success.”
The goals of Matthews and Dietz align for what a successful memory cafe program is supposed to achieve.
“I think the success comes from hearing from the participants and seeing the participants and the difference it makes,” Dietz said. “I’ve been to various memory cafes and social engagement programming, and to hear the people living with the disease say, ‘This is one of these great programs. I love coming to these. I love making new friends. This has been great,’ Hearing those things, I think, is what makes it successful.
“You’re not focusing on the disease in that moment, and so it really allows them to just have fun, and I think that’s where the success comes from,” Dietz said.
Those looking for resources related to dementia can call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 help line at (800) 272-3900.