Art healing the infirm elderly might sound strange, but Angela Lawler has seen it work.

Weeks ago, the Museum of Art and Archaeology associate educator watched a 59-year-old Vietnamese woman with dementia tour the closed museum with a group from the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Adult Day Connection, formerly Eldercare. When the woman stopped at "Dressing the Part," an exhibit about fashion and textiles in the 19th and 20th centuries, her interest in sewing went from a foggy memory to an involved conversation.

"It became very apparent that this visitor loved anything to do with textile clothing," Lawler said. "This information was coming out during this exhibit. She was just mesmerized."

Healing Art, a program that’s been tested since April, will officially start in July with a $3,272 grant from the Boone County Community Trust. The program is one of eight the trust recognized with more than $97,500 this week.

The trust has given out $2 million since former Boone County National Bank President R.B. Price II started it in 1974. Jan Witherwax, a trust officer with Boone County National Bank, said Price started the fund to benefit organizations deserving of help. "When he set this up, his goal was to give back to this community that had allowed him to grow and succeed," Witherwax said. "It’s just a community enrichment."

Twice a year, the trust gives grants that mainly benefit capital funds for established organizations, Witherwax said. "They like to know they’re contributing to something that’s successful and will stay around in the community," she said.

Gary Kremer, the director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, said the $4,210 grant his organization will receive comes at a crucial time.

"The State Historical Society had a difficult year this year," Kremer said.

The grant will relieve some of the pressure caused by a 10 percent budget cut ordered by the Missouri General Assembly and allow the society to buy a new microfilm reader that will allow the images to be stored digitally. Once the machine is in, requesters can e-mail the society and have the specific piece of film they are looking for e-mailed back.

As for the museum grant, Lawler said the money would be used to transport visitors to and from the museum for two visits a month, create reproductions of art for the visitors and to purchase frames. Not that the frames will be used in the museum - they’re for the artwork visitors will create when they head back to the adult day-care center.

"We’re really focusing on inspiring conversations about memories," Lawler said. "We’re using the art we have on display as a conversation piece."