Almost 80 aspiring artists from Centre or Autism Art programs shared colorful, imaginative works of art to attending family, friends, and the public on the opening night of the Annual Art Show and Sale presented at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts, June 12, 2017.
A record number of guests had the opportunity to meet with attending artists to learn more about the inspiration and evolution of each piece. Children, teens, and young adults from Fun with Art, Exploring Art, and Creative Expression art programs embraced the “making waves” theme for this year’s event. Instructor, Dennis Yowney comments, “Artists with autism have a voice, riding the crest of a creative wave, taking their artwork out into the community, refusing to be marginalized or ignored, and impacting and inspiring audiences. Through the programs, over time, each artist finds a unique voice, and the medium that works best for them. Whether it be ceramics, drawing, or printmaking, everyone works hard all year up to the show to develop their art. You can see that mastery and the progress in every line, every stroke. They should feel so proud of their work and here we are at end of a busy year of learning and practice at a professional curated exhibition of some amazing work. For me, the reward is in the process, and sees each individual grow as an artist. When I look at the possibilities for future creative endeavors for each of them it’s very exciting.
Wendy Hallo, Executive Director of Nina Haggerty and Paul Freeman, Program Director were very impressed with attendance for the Annual Arts Show and how the work of participating artists has developed over the years. Paul even recommended that some of the artist need to move on into more advanced work.
Thank you to everyone who attended the opening night and the week-long run of the exhibition.
