Art Without Boundaries™

Welcome!
from Noell Hammer, Founder

This overview is designed to introduce you to our virtual organization
and help you understand our mission and purpose.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with Autism, Alzheimer's disease
and other related disorders of the brain by promoting MnemeTherapy.™
To accomplish that, we train, certify and license artists to become MnemeTherapists and
provide matching grants for artists to open AWB Chapters to provide services all over the
world.

Q: What is MnemeTherapy?

MnemeTherapy™ uses everyday pleasures such singing, movement, painting and story
telling in a unique combination to stimulate dramatic changes in the brain. Although our
goal is to provide a rewarding experience, documented testimonies show significant
improvement in some clients in verbal skills, mobility, combativeness, spatial acuity and
understanding instructions.

Q: Is this Art Therapy?

A: No. Art Therapy, is a psychological process and therefore must be licensed by the state.
Art Therapy uses expressive or creative art with the goal of exploring feelings.
MnemeTherapy™ is not about feelings or talking about the art, it's about the brain and
synaptic development. Our goal is provide a rewarding experience and we use everyday,
pleasurable experiences in a unique combination such as singing and painting,
movements, story telling and praise to create whole brain synchronization and sustained
attentive focus. This may stimulate neuroplasticity, or the ability to move functions and
create new neural pathways.

Q: How long has this been around? I've never heard of it

A: I "accidentally" discovered it when I was Executive Director of a small Alzheimer's
Association Chapter in 2000. I started painting with Alzheimer's patients for a fund raiser
and we were all surprised when we began to see dramatic, immediate improvements.  
When the chapter territory was assigned to a larger chapter, the program dropped and our
chapter closed, I started using it as a private practice and in  December of 2005,
incorporated AWBF to train artists in the process I called MnemeTherapy,(from Mneme,
[pronounced NEMMA] the Greek goddess of memory and mother of the Muse.) We started
recruiting apprentices in 2008

Q: What does it mean AWBF is a "virtual" organization?

A: Instead of spending all of our time fund raising to keep the doors open, we've opted to
not have a paid staff and office space. Everything that needs to be done is done by
volunteers (including me) or by an independent contractor, like our accounting.  

Since I personally hold the trademark of Art Without Boundaries™ and MnemeTherapy™
and the process of MnemeTherapy™, AWBF contracts with my company, MnemeCorp, to
recruit and train artists to fulfil their mission. Any funds that AWBF receives is used to pay
our very low expenses (less than $50.00 a month) or provide matching grants for artists to
open AWB Chapters.

Q: If someone donates to AWBF do they receive a tax benefit?

A: Yes, The  Art Without Boundaries Foundation has tax exempt status under Section 501
(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our mailing address is: 6266 South Congress Ave.
Suite L-5, Lantana, FL 33462. You may make a donation on line by clicking here.

The  Art Without Boundaries Foundation has tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code

TM 2005 Art Without Boundaries™ and MnemeTherapy™ are both trademarks with all rights reserved. You may not copy or reproduce anything from
this website without written permission from AWBF

Art Without Boundaries Foundation, Inc.
Home Office: (Toll free) 866-938-6546

webmaster
Counter
Mnemosyne (Mneme) the Greek
goddess of memory and mother of
the Muse
Painting by an autistic student
Noell Hammer, founder, Art
Without  Boundaries, President,
MnemeCorp, Inc
Board of Directors
Overview of AWB
Q: What is your position with AWB?

A:  I am the VOLUNTEER  Executive Director of AWB and also the President and Grand Poohbah of
MnemeCorp, LLC (as you can see we don't take ourselves very seriously here in virtual-land.)  Art Without
Boundaries Foundation contracts with M-Corp to recruit and train artists to open local chapters

Here's the how it happens:
  1. I advertise on the Internet
  2. Candidates fill out an application and submit 3 samples of their work.
  3. I interview applicants over the phone
  4. Those who are accepted into the program participate in a matching grant program.
  5. Students go through an on-line curriculum.
  6. Once they have successfully completed the curriculum, they schedule their on-site final.
  7. Their mentor will go to their area to observe the student for 20 hours to certify that they are doing
    the process correctly and help them turn "training hosts" into clients. The student pays the
    mentors expenses for the final.
  8. Students who successfully complete the final receive the designation of Certified MnemeTherapist
    (CMT) and a business license that entitles them to use the trademarked name, Art Without
    Boundaries™ and the process of MnemeTherapy™.
  9. Those graduates who were mentored by me (everyone the first year) are able to move up to the
    designation of Master MnemeTherapist after 3 months in a successful chapter without additional
    training or costs. Those students who were mentored by an MMT other than myself must apply for
    the Master's program to take an additional 4 hours of training (with me) to receive the designation
    of MMT and be able to train other artists. That way the process will never be more than 1
    generation away from me.
  10. MMT are paid $2,500 of he tuition to mentor and certify a student.


Q: Could you explain the matching grant program?

A: To encourage participation early in the program, a matching grant was offered. The cost to open a chapter
is $6,000. If the applicant paid $3,000 for the tuition, AWB matched it to purchase the business license for the
chapter.

Since AWB runs on less than $50.00 per month, obviously there's no money in the budget to cover the grants.
So, since I personally own the trademarks and the business license comes from me, I loan AWB the money (on
paper.) Our contract states that AWB can pay me back when they get the money. That way we can legitimately
advertise that we give grants to open AWB Chapters. If anyone ever does make a donation to The Foundation,
AWB will pay me back- at the discretion of the treasurer.

Q: Then why have a Foundation?

A: After I discovered the therapy, many people encouraged me to train others to do it. Several suggested that
start my own business and just hire artists. But I know artists, because I am one. I am much more passionate
and creative if I'm not working hard to make someone else money. So I set out to find a way that we could teach
artists to do this and help them get set up in their own private practice. I liked the idea of a Foundation with a
mission, but I didn't want to spend my time and efforts fund raising to keep the doors opened. That's when I
thought of the virtual organization. Part of the duties M-Corp handles is the website, which I do out of my home
office and other duties, such as speaking I do as a volunteer.

All the chapters belong to the AWB Association. They receive a page on our website and are able to take
donations. That's the advantage of being a 501 (c) 3. If they do receive a donation, say for helping a loved
one, they can have the check made out to AWB (or use our handy-dandy donation button) and we can manage
the money for them (for a small bookkeeping fee) and the donor gets a tax write off and the Chapter owner
doesn't have a big tax hit.

Now, it's time to take a tour of our site to get to know us even better. Use your back button to return
to this page.
Our recruiting program

E-journals and resources for parents

Index

Index to students in the program

Operating chapters


Comments

Advocacy program

Signed Case Studies of improvements

Explanation of Directed Painting
Virtual Meetings

    Because our Board is scattered across the
    country, we will meet on this page while we are
    on the Conference Call.

    You will be notified of the meeting by email. Please
    reply to the suggested dates promptly. The phone
    number and pin will be sent to you to confirm the date.

     The Moderator or Secretary will take attendance and
    you will vote here using the pin number you have
    been assigned.


If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at
866-938-6546 or email me at awbf@bellsouth.net
Vote here
* Required Field
*
Today's date
*
 Your name:
Your pin
number
*
Issue # you are voting on
If there is more than one issue, please
submit a new vote for each issue.
*
*
Your vote, and/or comment:
AWB Documents

2008 By-laws
By-Laws of AWBF and proposed changes