Farewell, New York! My Goodbye Letter to you...

Dear New York,

It’s been 3 months, and like all good things, they must come to an end. You’ve been kind to me. I can give you that. Your people have helped me, when I’ve needed it. Not saying they always knew which direction a subway train was going in, but they’ve tried. You’ve certainly enabled me to do my work here, as you’re a city of artistic glory. A beating hub. A magnet with monumental pull. You attract talent from all over this Earth to come and ‘make it’ here. The American dream and all that comes with it. I’ve seen talent like no other. A congregation like no other. I’ve met so many artists, in particular autistic ones, which is exactly what I hoped for. It’s been amazing to see what type of spaces you have available to us. The support. I feel honoured to have visited all the galleries and pop-up spaces. To see the amazing street art beckon at me from across the sidewalk. There’s always a surprising message. For everyone has something to say in New York! For that’s what you attract, what you provoke. And freedom of speech is what you give the people. I likened the city to an artist platform; an outlet for souls with a message to the world. I hope you get heard amongst the din.

Art in unexpected places

 

Andy Warhol exhibition at the Whitney Museum - a favourite

For all the great things, come the shortfalls. Race is tense, at times. You can feel it on the surface bubbling away: how quickly people can become provoked and then how suddenly sides are taken. Even over a seemingly innocent exchange. The heat rises fast. And that’s not just the humidity of the summer heat we’re talking about. Your past is recent. People remember. The stories are unfolding and finally being told. It’s been fascinating and horrendous to learn about.

There’s a great deal of poverty and that has made me sad. The subway holds up the homeless who ride from one dead end to another. The trains can smell of sick, faeces and rotten food. It’s quite gross. But we’re all so dependent on the subway. For A-B we must go. The homeless prevails, as with many cities, large and small, around the world. I know it’s complex, so I won’t say too much on the topic, but rest assured I’ve acknowledged the issue.

The New York shoreline as the sun begins to set...

New York marathon: the most incredible event I've seen, bringing together all communities of people, in one giant street party :)

The healthcare insurance is something I think I’ll never get over. I felt like I was going back to the stone ages. I didn’t realise that not everything is covered by it and how expensive it can be. It’s the difference between surviving or not. Break or lose. Such a lottery. Yet it’s a basic human right! For any country and person. I view the NHS with completely new lens now. it’s not perfect, sure, but it’s there for you. For everyone. Like it or loathe it.

Which gave way to me thinking that you feel a little like a third world country. As I came to learn more, I understood about the lack of food safety standards and laws that the food industry abides by. Or lack of. Ps – I didn’t like your food. It was expensive and often of poor quality. And not yummy. It felt like a game of hit and miss. And I don’t like that when it comes to my basic need. Your employment rights aren’t great either. Women have less rights compared with men – just look at the maternity leave one gets. It ain’t on…

Bushwick Street Art

The vibrant streets of New York

Yet everyone wants to come and live here. Why, New York..? I was constantly gobsmacked. Sure, it’s a fun and exciting city - great for a holiday. But to live here? Yes, if you’re rich. But that applies to anywhere in the world. Yet a large proportion of people in your city are struggling. It feels like you’re at melting point. Many are living illegally. Expired visas and all that jazz. Some never have one! These stories are not uncommon, and many people work without papers. You shocked me when I first arrived, but I soon became desensitised. For it’s so tricky to come and work in the States, that it’s quite normal to find alternative ways to be.

You’re like this façade. A façade of glory that you present to the world. Yet underneath you’re rotting away. The branding is sensational, and it holds you up. But underneath you’re failing. Collapsing. How long will it take…? I feel it’s happened so slowly, gradually, that you haven’t realised it yourself. It comes down to outsiders to tell you this. But what if you’re not in New York? What if you’re in a town which is rural and far from the external influences of the world? Well, the word opiates probably means a lot to you for starters. for opiate addiction is on the rise in parts of the States. And that’s a whole other blog and a half, but it’s been happening for some time now, and what does that say about the future of the country? The Government shutdown is nearing the end of the third week as I write this. The Wall and Trump scare me in equal measures.

The amazing murals which would suddenly appear... and then there's the insane '6-layer-parking' dotted around the city

People love New York and are drawn to it. A real magnet...

New York, New York. You’ve given me a lot to consider and ponder. And I can assure you that I’m never going to forget you. You astound me, and I will always follow you - from afar. Thank you for the experience. Thank you for the learnings. Please take care. I hope you get the investment and care you need.

With love,

Mahlia x

Me in my shared studio space at Con Artist Collective

Autistic Artists: Exploring Limitations and their Impact

On my quest to meet with as many autistic artists as possible in NYC, I’ve opened myself up to speaking with writers, filmmakers, poets, musicians – and even those that have worked alongside autistic artists to create TV and media content. There are many trends that are coming through, and for me this is summed up in the following two points:

- The talent is there

- But so are the struggles

It’s all very simple. I’ve seen some incredible paintings; those of the most intricate of detail, as well as the loosest of abstract form, beautiful verses of prose and the most moving of narratives, musicians playing pure goosebump-inducing melodies, and then there’s the incredibly impactful and compelling short films and documentaries I’ve seen produced. I feel the defining factor and difference is that these are all people with a powerful drive and passion; that they’re putting their energy and soul into the projects they’re working on – and you can feel this very tangibly.

Obviously, I’m realistic though – there’s a heap of talent in New York. It’s a congregation of some of the world’s greatest arts talent in one giant city. And that’s quite scary to think about!

But the struggles are definitely evident, and everyone has their own bag of what they’re dealing with. However, it’s more the impact that these struggles then have on one’s art practise. So, for instance, I met a visual fine artist who struggles with sensory overload and consequently finds it hard to visit galleries. This then means that they can only visit them in small doses, and has to undertake more visits to be up-date-to-date with the current art scene. Another fine artist has social difficulties and struggles with multiple conversations taking place at the same time. Sadly, he can’t attend any private views and openings due to the feeling of overwhelm - and has to leave – in case he has a meltdown. This means that he misses out on meeting with and networking with artists, gallerists, curators – and other crucial connections. Another writer has a massive anxiety about using public transport and struggles to meet others within her community of writers and attend workshops around the city.

Maybelline Gonzalez and her work, Instagram: @msmaybellene 

There are many, many examples I can give you of difficulties people on the spectrum face and the consequent impact and limitations it can have on one’s career - especially in a job where you need to be doing more than simply fine-tuning your craft. You have to be communicating and getting your work out there for it to be seen and known. And that in itself is a serious undertaking of will that all artists find challenging.

David Savette’s painting ‘Scent of Comfort in the Rain’, Instagram: @talldarkpoetny

The ultimate factor that stood out for me though was the barrier to employment – virtually all artists I met with had some type of difficulty in holding down a regular job. Each of these artists had had some kind of difficulty – or simply very bad experiences, in the past. With creative jobs or otherwise. Even though they’re all tremendously talented, and employers are open to disabilities and diversity, there is this expectation of employers (regardless of whether they’re an arts centre or theatre) - that you need to be turning up each day, and performing your role, diligently. This is a real challenge and I’ve heard countless stories of artists who haven’t been able to make this work. Our condition leaves us unable to perform stably all the time. And this makes it tough if you wish to subsidise your artistic income, which you undoubtedly are likely to have to do. This may leave you dependent on others, including the State. I know of an artist currently struggling to find a roof over her head. And that’s very sad.

Larry Bissonnette – autism advocate and artist based in Vermont 

And then what? What’s next for these artists?

I mean, I am meeting people who have managed to make it work. I met one artist for example who works at a school with special needs students, namely autistic ones, and then works on his art outside of this. This is a success story. And I’m really stressing that point. He gets to do both. He’s found a job he enjoys and cares about, while still leaving him with enough time to work on his art and make a living. He even volunteers with young autistic people at the weekend in the arts!

Some autistic artists who have more complex and severe needs may gain the support of an art centre that operates as a day care centre and are helped and supported in this form. Such places are often funded through Medicare, i.e. the Government, and will provide space and support where artists can produce art, and then the organisation will have connections with galleries, corporations and other means to sell and exhibit their work. I’ve written about these spaces in my other blog ‘Art Spaces Supporting Autistic Artists in NYC’, and for those who can get on such a programme (spaces are often very limited), it can be very beneficial – simply because of the artistic links that these centres have.

Anie Knipping's incredible book about her autism and life journey: ‘Eccentricity: A Journey through a Mind’ 

But it raises the question as to what becomes of these ‘middling’ autistic artists. Those artists whose needs may not be seen as severe enough to be State supported, yet they still struggle on in their own way. And I don’t have the answer to that! I know I regularly struggle with my autism and that can limit me, yet I also feel that I’m finding ways to make it work. Little by little. Perhaps it’s a lifetime’s worth of exploration and figuring out, who knows. But the point here is to raise awareness of these artists.

So what does ultimately become of these people? Do they continue to pursue their art? Does it simply take them a lot longer to ‘get there’? Do they have to resort to job-after-job of which may or may not work out…? My personal view is that things often haven’t been easy for us (I’m not saying everyone else has had it easy), and I therefore feel we have a higher degree of resilience than the average person, and will therefore make it work out - somehow.

Please help me complete the picture, by contacting me and sharing your stories. And I guess to an extent, only time will tell of what becomes of neurodiverse artists. But let’s not wait that long ;D!

Art Spaces Supporting Autistic Artists in NYC: Part II

And on to the second part of my blog, where I met with autistic art centres in and around New York! A reminder that the first part can be read here, and also that the art centres I visited often catered to artists with other disabilities too – so not simply focusing on autism. In addition to the art centres I went to see, I found that there were galleries that supported ‘Outsider Artists’. I’m not sure how politically correct that term is anymore, and whether people still use it, yet I do keep stumbling upon it. One example is a gallery called Ricco/Maresca that champions and showcases the art of self-taught masters working outside the continuum of art history. You also have the American Folk Art Museum devoted to the creative expressions of self-taught artists, past and present. So there really are galleries that support ‘alternate’ routes and means to the arts, as well as the artist’s mental and physical condition, which was very interesting to discover. But back to my list, and here we go with the final two on my list!

Arts Unbound - www.artsunbound.org

These guys are based out in New Jersey and that’s where I had my group exhibition on collaboration, and you can read more about the ‘Women and Autism’ work I did here, and find out exactly what I got up to. it was fascinating stuff! Now, as well as having a studio and two gallery spaces, Arts Unbound work with their artists on the business side of art, which is hugely important. The general process is for the artist to have their art practise and then later for them to be mentored in terms of where their work fits in with the overall marketplace; how they can position their work; how to write an artist statement and generally market and promote themselves. I was amazed at how well-rounded the support is and it all felt like such a well-thought-out concept. They’d really covered everything! And I think it’s hugely important for artists to have business support to supplement their art, because essentially the two go hand-in-hand – without the business element, it remains a hobby. Again, the gallery exhibits extensively and has artist talks. I’d say Arts Unbound are slightly different to the others in that in addition to serving people with mental illness, developmental or physical disabilities, they also serve seniors (with or without disabilities) and have a visual arts education program that is open to the general public.

The gallery space (one of two) in New Jersey 

The lovely Celene Ryan, Director of Artist Development

LAND Gallery – www.landgallery.org

And finally to LAND gallery, who are based in the Dumbo area of Brooklyn, New York. They have a small gallery with a studio space at the back, and support 16 artists with developmental disabilities. I’d say I was most impressed with the connections LAND has – they have artists who have their work used as prints on furniture (e.g. a sofa chair) in shops, as well as other corporate partnerships – not to mention connections with prestigious galleries around the world. It felt that the artists there had tremendous outreach to these opportunities, which is a huge plus. The organisation is run as a non-profit and artists develop their skills in a nurturing environment, while their work is marketed to the community in a vibrant and inclusive manner. LAND artists work with painters, sculptors, fibre artists, animators, designers and others who value creative collaboration.

So that was my round-up! What did you think? It really was an incredible and very humbling experience to visit these art spaces. I felt so in awe and thankful that each and every one of these places exists in supporting artists from the autistic spectrum – and those with other difficulties. I’m so happy with the work they’re doing, as they really do ensure that the artists have equal access to resources and can express their own creative vision, rather than to be isolated and controlled – which can happen all too often in our society.

I’d also like to say a really big thank you to all of these art centres for welcoming me with open arms and warm hearts; to come and visit and explore their organisations, and to meet with their staff and artists. A real honour and privilege – thank you 😊