(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Carly Finley of Flemington, Isabell Villacis of Bound Brook, and Michael Martin of Morris Plains are three of 15 artists from the Matheny Medical and Educational Center's Arts Access Program who will have their paintings on display at the Morris Museum's Access-ABILITY Pop Up Exhibit, from Thursday, February 20 through Sunday, February 23.
Matheny is a special hospital and educational facility in Peapack for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities. Arts Access empowers individuals with disabilities to create art without boundaries.
Throughout the year, the Morris Museum provides inclusive programs to welcome and showcase the talents of children and adults in the community with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. The Arts Access exhibit will be held in combination with the Center for Enhancing Abilities, an organization in Cedar Knolls that provides services to enrich the lives of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A special reception will be held on Thursday, February 20 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm offering visitors an opportunity to not only view the paintings, but also to meet some of the artists. The reception and exhibit are open to the public, and tickets are not required.
Though some of the Arts Access painters do not have the use of their arms and may be non-verbal, they are able to paint through the use of innovative systems and techniques, working with professional artists who act as their facilitators. The facilitators consciously maintain a sense of neutrality throughout the creative process, while the artists choose everything from the paint color to the brush stroke, producing works that are purely their own.
Michael Martin has created large and small acrylic works on canvas, as well as digital paintings, and his intricate style is very recognizable. As one Arts Access facilitator says, "You can always tell a painting is a Mike Martin."
Carly Finley employs a variety of painting techniques, and, according to one of her facilitators, "She uses our studio charts to make her selection -- color, shape, brush stroke, etc. She is particularly adept at using adaptive gear that enables her to paint, finger paint, and draw on her own effortlessly."
Isabell Villacis specializes in digital art. She feels "very fortunate to be part of this wonderful program. The professional team I'm working with is wonderful. They believe in me, and I believe in myself as an artist and as a person."
The Morris Museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, New Jersey. It is open weekdays and Saturday from 11:00am-5:00pm and from noon to 5:00pm on Sundays. For more information about Arts Access, log onto artsaccessprogram.org or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 1442.
PHOTO by Haeree Park/ The Arts Access Program at Matheny
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