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.
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| The gallery space (one of two) in New Jersey |
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The lovely Celene Ryan, Director of Artist Development
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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 😊
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