Pam Potenza is a contemporary artist from The Maryland Institute College of ART (MICA) whose work blends abstraction and expressionism. She paints with bold, expressive brushstrokes, turning small, often overlooked moments into pieces that feel emotional and alive.
Much of her work is inspired by the experience of dementia and how it changes memory, identity, and perception over time. She often softens or blurs her subjects’ faces to protect their privacy while also reflecting how unclear and shifting things can feel. Her work shows that everyone experiences dementia differently. Some people lose words, some lose memories, and some seem to live in another time, and with that comes a mix of emotions that can move from joy to frustration without warning.
For Pam, this work is also about connection. Many of us have loved ones living with dementia, and she hopes her paintings help people feel less alone in that experience. She wants to remind others that even through the changes, the person we love is still there and still needs us, and that not every part of this journey is defined by loss.