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Saturdays With Ramsey Lewis: April 24th Online Concert Will Reprise Songs from "The In Crowd"

About five years ago, pianist Ramsey Lewis and his wife, Janet, were at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, preparing to fly out for a concert tour. “My wife asked an attendant what gate the flight was leaving from, and when she saw how far it was, she asked, ‘Can you get a wheelchair for my husband?’ That’s when I started thinking it was time to retire.”

Basking Ridge Writer to Have Her Plays Presented at NJ Theatre Alliance's Stages Festival

Fancy Farthington is a "social climbing phony." Princess Cordelia is "English royalty, old money." Mrs. Diedre Billingsworth is a "good-hearted former lady's companion who inherited her fortune from the older woman she took care of." And, Prince Carlos is a "handsome Spanish prince" who "is penniless."

Readings of Four Plays by Playwrights with Disabilities to be Presented March 28th

This event has been cancelled (PEAPACK, NJ) --  An action-packed and satirical retelling of the Second World War . . . a romantic comedy about a young couple moving in together . . . a zany comedy about one woman's quest to win the love of someone ensnared by a jealous fiancee . . . a musical drama about a man who desperately wants to spend more time with his cousin.

Arts Access Artists to Display Paintings At Morris Museum Access-ABILITY Exhibit

(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.

Warren County Artist with Disability Choreographs Dance to Debbie Gibson's "Lost in Your Eyes"

Josh Handler has always loved music, and one of his favorite songs is Debbie Gibson's "Lost In Your Eyes", from her 1989 Atlantic album, Electric Youth. To Handler, the song has special meaning. Written in 1987 when Gibson was 17 years old, the song's lyrics describe a first, adolescent love. To Handler, though, the song, "shows a lot of caring, that it doesn't matter if you're different, you're still great."

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's Collaborative Exhibition Will Feature Art From Matheny's Arts Access Program

(NEWARK, NJ) -- When Geeta Acharya arrived at the Matheny Medical and Educational Center as Corporate Compliance Officer in June 2010, she was impressed by its Arts Access Program, which empowers individuals with disabilities to create art without boundaries. Acharya, a resident of Bridgewater, is also an artist and was amazed by the facilitation process, which employs professional artists who follow the instructions of artists who may not have control of their hands and, in some cases, are non-verbal, communicating 'yes' and 'no' by a blink of the eye or a nod of the head.

Premiere Stages to Present Staged Reading of Play By Writer Who Refuses to be Defined by His Disability

(PEAPACK, NJ) -- "A fearless 16-year-old with cerebral palsy brought a combination of praise and put-downs to the job of master of ceremonies." That's how The New York Times' Neil Genzlinger described Chris Saglimbene in a column on October 20, 2002, reporting on a talent show at the Matheny School and Hospital, a special hospital and special education school in Peapack, NJ, for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities.

Siblings' Interaction from "Different Sides of the Brain" Leads to Sotheby's Exhibit for Artists with Disabilities

Growing up in Watchung, NJ, it was clear that Brad and Dana Chernock’s interests and aptitudes gravitated toward “different sides of the brain”.  Brad was drawn toward medicine and science; His younger sister Dana’s passion was the arts. Through the years, Dana recalls, “Brad and I often shared articles and events with each other that combined science/technology with the arts.” But even they are surprised at where this collaborative approach has recently taken them. 

Long Branch Theatrical Couple Uncovered Creative Potential of Artists with Disabilities

In the early 1990s Gabor Barabas, MD, was medical director of the Matheny School and Hospital, a special hospital and school in Peapack, NJ, for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities. His wife, SuzAnne, who was director of the Peanut Butter Theatre for children, couldn’t help wondering about the creative potential that might reside inside the minds of her husband’s patients if they were given the opportunity to express themselves.