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 😊

Women and Autism - My Musings

Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (an Autism Spectrum Disorder) three years ago, I chose to embark on a collaborative art project to explore the issues around ‘women and autism’, which I’ve covered here in ‘Women and Autism - A Collaborative Artistic Partnership’. As I’ve learnt more about the condition over the years, I’ve noticed considerable gender differences in perceptions of autism; its presentation and coping strategies between men and women – to the point where women are often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed with autism. I’ve questioned this considerably and the reasons behind it. I feel there’s certainly an increase in recognition in this field of thought, especially from those already with a fair degree of autism awareness - but not so much beyond it. For beyond it still lies a more outdated and stereotypical image of the autistic male. An update and restart are needed.

I’ve summarised my musings in my exploration to consider and understand issues around ‘women and autism’ in a piece of creative writing, with the text transcribed out below the image.

“Men. Why is autism so different in men than in women? Or is it…? Why is the male ‘form’ the accepted norm? the one where people have this ‘aha’ moment and realise that ‘yes sure, I’ve heard of this Autism business!’ and they revert back to TV shows and films. ‘Atypical’ and What’s eating Gilbert Grape’. The media conveying a one-sided view of what is. And-how-it-is. And yet missing out on what oh-so-isn’t… why is Autism so much more apparent and ‘obvious’ in men? We have a subtler presentation they say. But the most dismissive comment of all: ‘Oooh, but you don’t look (how does one look autistic anyway?) autistic.’ How dare you. a compliment you meant? Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that disregarding who I am and my total being is a compliment. For ‘so what’ if I’m autistic? Poor me…? An all cast set of male actors. Who are unlikely autistic, playing autistic men. In Science, Maths, Psychology. Historically. White men. All making inferences, studies, research, analysis – on Autism. What could they know? Or wish to consider about in female autistics? ‘Autism is Autism’ they say. Why are we misdiagnosed? Misunderstood. Undiagnosed. Why are we still playing catch-up with men? Every field. Yes, it’s unfair, blah, yes. But it’s not a whining point. If women are not being diagnosed, or misdiagnosed, their Autism is not being picked up on. Then this is a very serious point. And a subtler ‘presentation’ doesn’t mean we’re not struggling. That it’s not valid. That it’s less of an issue. That we can somehow seamlessly cope with it, because ‘we don’t look it’! We’re often over-compensating. And that’s hard work! The exhaustion, harshness, loudness, brightness. We feel this. Separate. A cultural gap. Initially misinterpreted as shy. Because women are more likely, at a societal level, to be considered shy… Bollocks. Gender differences. I am of course more than a label. More. But at the same time, this label can be helpful: liberating and empowering. And autistic women shouldn’t be left out here. Leave no-one behind they say. Well mean it.”

And it’s not just ‘women and autism’ that is the issue here either. For there are the differences that exist at a cultural and ethnic level. I’m discovering this more and more as I meet different people from the spectrum here in New York; all of whom have their various backgrounds and histories. Different school systems and state support. And the discussion and musings continue.

What are your views, if any, on ‘women and autism’? I’d be happy to hear to hear from you.

Women and Autism - A Collaborative Artistic Partnership

Interested in the theme of ‘Women and Autism’ and my desire to collaborate with autistic artists, I set out a proposal to New Jersey-based arts organisation Arts Unbound. I wanted to run a collaborative arts project that would involve group discussions, creative exploration and practical participation with each artist being asked to work with, and respond to the other artists’ approach, ideologies and physical work. The overall aim was to test the limits of collaborative working amongst those with autism, and to cross-pollinate the various layers of each individual’s creative visions and working methods - with the results to then be exhibited in a collaborative group exhibition. Exciting stuff!

Why ‘Women and Autism’ as the theme? Well, historically it was thought that women were less likely to be autistic than men, however recent research has highlighted the challenges in identifying autism in women. It is now recognised from research, clinical practice and anecdotal reports that many autistic females, or those who demonstrate the less traditionally obvious traits of autism, are simply not recognised. This can result in misdiagnosis, late diagnosis, or women not being diagnosed at all. As an autistic woman myself who was diagnosed in adulthood, I am also interested in the challenges faced by other autistic women and the perception of autism in women as a whole.

Arts Unbound put up a ‘call-out’ to female artists on the autistic spectrum, who were diagnosed in adulthood, to take part in the workshops. Regrettably we could only find one artist happy to partake, but still decided to go ahead and to run the project as a collaborative partnership. With hindsight, this actually worked very well! I took away a lot of learnings from the process and realised that there’s a lot to manage when running such a workshop. After running these two sessions, I feel a lot more confident, and have a far better idea of what works well - and conversely less so.

Maybellene working on a word association task

Session one: me working away on a task

Work in progress

My participant in the project, Maybelline Gonzalez (@MsMaybellene), is a very talented artist from New York, who works primarily in collage. Maybelline and I met on two occasions and I orchestrated discussions around the following questions and topics:

• Do you feel that autism is perceived or recognised as a ‘male’ condition?
• It is often said that the differences autistic women experience is of a subtler presentation, or may appear so to others. How do you feel about this? 
• Some autistic women feel that they are masking their autism to try and hide the fact that they feel different. Do you feel you mask your autism?
• As women, we are often told that we don’t ‘look’ or ‘seem’ autistic. Have your experienced this? 
• With less ‘obvious’ autistic traits, do you feel you have to prove yourself as being autistic?  
• What would we like to tell the world about being autistic and female?

Session two: Maybellene working on a collage piece

Each discussion was interjected by an arts-based activity that was collaborative in nature. For instance: a word association task based on our discussions; a collage summarising a particular feeling we experience; or abstract mark-marking to depict our difficulties in being autistic.

Collaborative text exercise exploring our own narratives within the context of ‘Women and Autism’

Creating a collaborative collage to explore the feeling of overwhelm and the consequent exhaustion we both experience

The discussions were truly fascinating as I considered aspects of autism and women that I previously hadn’t thought of before, for example, by considering the history of who has previously been studying autism; i.e. men. Maybelline’s experiences also fed into my own; both different yet completely relatable. The collaboration enabled me to think in different directions to my own.

An art piece created reflecting on the theme of ‘Women and Autism’ - first half

An art piece created reflecting on the theme of ‘Women and Autism’ - completed!

Overall, the process of collaborating, for me, was incredible. I felt this really came together in the second session once we’d started producing work together. At times it was nerve-wracking: to hand over/let the other person complete/add to your art work. However, once I’d allowed this to happen and for the trust to form, the outcome was remarkable. To create a shared vision in collaboration with another person was a very powerful feeling and something I would certainly like to try again. Going forwards, I’ll be creating more art works around collage – a medium that Maybellene uses – and effectively keeping our collaborative efforts going.

Our work forms part of the ‘Coaction’ exhibition which is currently being shown at the Dora Stein Gallery, Arts Unbound in New Jersey. If you’re in the area, please pop in and visit! 😊

Arts Unbound in New Jersey

'Women and Autism' - part of the 'Coaction' group exhibition at the Dora Stein Gallery - Image 1

'Women and Autism' - part of the 'Coaction' group exhibition at the Dora Stein Gallery - Image 2

'Women and Autism' - part of the 'Coaction' group exhibition at the Dora Stein Gallery - Image 3