Arati, Pooja and dog Rudolf posing with their newly acquired artwork by Clem Evans and Charmaine Jones.

 

 

 

 Feb. 28, 2009

I want to make note of the seventh anniversary of Art Enables, which was celebrated with a party and exhibit last weekend. Art Enables, founded by Joyce Muis Lowery who is heroically assisted by Stefan Bauschmid, Yvonne Bauduin and Stephanie Bonifant, is a day program for a couple of dozen artists with various kinds of mental disabilities. I first encountered the group not long after its founding, when it was operating out of space at the late lamented Millennium Art Center (aka the old Randall Junior High) where I and many friends had studios. (I am sorely tempted right here to go off on a rant about the Corcoran, which bought the Randall School from the city as part of its wet dream about getting a Gehry building for its museum and relocating its school to our place, kicked out all the artists, boarded up the building and signed up with a developer who was supposed to finance the whole thing by co-locating several hundred Stalinesque condos. We all know what happened to those kinds of dreams. So the building is now still boarded up but the public-spirited Corc has recently done its bit for neighborhood beautification by painting the boards primary colors and slapping up some oversized posters. So that would be my rant if I were ranting)

 Happy Birthday, Art Enables!

Ailson with his "Flying free" which won him honorable mention and $1,000 in VSAarts International Competition Expressing Freedom 2002.

"You all are amazing."

 

"As the father of a learning disabled adult, I have tremendous regard for what your organization has done and continues to do for those under your guidance....It is truly an impressive initiative."

"I purchased one of Paul Lewis' fabulous paintings yesterday while I was at the JCCNV Art Show. I was immediately drawn to it. Please let Paul know that we think his work is wonderfully inspiring. We have the piece displayed conspicuously in the entranceway to our home so that friends, family and guests can enjoy and experience the vibrance and mixture of colors and form. In the photo is my wife (Heather), me (Jerry), and one of our daughters (Ansley). Our son Eric took the photo. [Paul] has brought great joy into our home."

 

"In the years that Max has been at Art Enables, his artistic abilities have flourished. His execution may have been a bit undercooked at first, but with AE's guidance, his art has evolved into a style which is instantly identifiable. While his artwork has benefited from the encouragement and tutelage he receives at your studio, the biggest gain has been his self esteem."