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SPOTLIGHT
ON THE ARTS - March 2002 by Deanna Mascle Minds Wide Open “Minds Wide Open is about artistic expression,” says Jennifer Mattox, development director of the Lexington art center. “It’s a place where people often hidden in society can voice their concerns, likes, dislikes and opinions. Minds Wide Open fosters creativity and advocates for the abilities of artists thought to have disabilities. People with disabilities are people first, and just like people without disabilities, people with disabilities can have artistic talents.”
Select artworks are professionally matted and framed or otherwise prepared for exhibit. The artworks are displayed in community galleries such as the Lexington Art League’s MetroLex Gallery, the Lexington Opera House, the Carnegie Center and others. MWO has a current exhibit at Lexington’s Lighthouse Coffee Shop on Main Street. The artworks are also available for sale. The artists receive a commission of the sale – the same as it would be for artists without disabilities. MWO collectors include Chicago Tribune Art Critic Bill Swislow, a KET Producer, a local architect, and a local pharmacy, among many private individuals. Mattox points out their artists’ works are a feasible means of income – similar to the work of talented artists without disabilities. Although many other programs for people with developmental disabilities use art as an activity in which to occupy time, MWO is different because of the creation of art is the emphasis, rather than the diversion. This art is seen as the work of a professional and is treated as such. The Minds Wide Open art center was created through a unique collaboration between agencies that serve a diverse community of people who are considered to be disabled. A program of the Arc of the Bluegrass, the art center is generally open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Programming takes place Monday through Friday. The artists use the center’s professional art supplies (paints, watercolors, pastels, charcoals, oil pastels, fabric, mixed media, etc.) to create their own artworks. Some instruction on art techniques is given from time to time, but the artists generally work independently, receiving assistance on an as-needed basis. In addition, some artists explore the literary arts. One artist has had a poem published in a national magazine. The artists at MWO also work on performing arts, such as drumming and theatrical sketches. The artists have had public performances in the past. MWO plans to put more emphasis on theater than it has in the past. “We have some artists who really enjoy theatrical sketches and would like to be involved in community performances. We would like to make this possible,” Mattox says. Although the art center has mainly focused on visual art, increased attention to the performing arts will take place in the future, according to Mattox. The Arc of the Bluegrass, Inc. has been known under different names in the past 45 years but the organization’s main goal has not changed: to provide services for people with developmental disabilities. “We believe that the arts are a vital component in everyday living, and that participation in the arts establishes an important link between a person with a disability and the broader community,” Mattox says. “For people with cognitive disabilities, MWO offers an alternative to the typical arts and crafts programs for people with cognitive disabilities where projects are made following a set of instructions. Instead, MWO encourages them to create their own artwork so that their self-expression is possible through art.” MWO’s artists are not the only ones who benefit from the center. “MWO educates the public on people with cognitive disabilities and the abilities they have (such as artistic ability) through exhibits and performances. MWO also entertains the public through performing arts and art exhibits,” Mattox says. In the short time of the art center’s existence, successful events have included a one-day workshop discussing art and disability called “Everyone for the Arts,” art exhibits (including the Lexington Art League’s MetroLex Gallery, the Lexington Opera House, the Carnegie Center, and several others), community performances, and an art event open to all people in the community called Community Art Night. “MWO encourages people without disabilities to interact with people with disabilities for the good of all – because when labels are removed, we are all just people. Cognitive disabilities shouldn’t separate people because, despite the misperceptions, people considered to have disabilities are capable of achievement and ability,” Mattox says. Minds Wide Open artists have exhibits planned for the Kentucky Theater Gallery in early 2002 and Vanderbilt University’s JFK Center for the summer. Other exhibits are planned as well although the details are not yet set. Upcoming events include a Silk Painting Workshop, funded in part by Kentucky Arts Council, which will be open for adults with developmental disabilities and will be free. The workshop will include instruction on how to do silk painting, and the artists will work on their own artworks. Select pieces will be exhibited and available for sale. MWO will hold a Community Mural Project during the spring. Funded in part by Lexington Arts & Cultural Council, people with and without disabilities – of all ages, all artistic levels – will come together to create a mural to be displayed in the community. “When I think of Arc of the Bluegrass and Minds Wide Open art center, I am proud that they have provided new opportunities for people diagnosed with developmental disabilities – opportunities that allow people to expand their horizons. The Arc of the Bluegrass, in this aspect, is truly a pioneering organization.” To learn more, call (859) 259-2637.
The Arc of the Bluegrass, Inc. Web site, www.arcbluegrass.com,
includes up-to-date information on the MWO exhibits. Deanna Mascle is a
staff writer for The Lane Report. |
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Officially
opened in February 1999, the goal of the Minds Wide Open (MWO) art center
is to provide an outlet for creative expression of artists with disabilities.