Finding Their Inner Artist

Cassandra Clark, left, paints
a spool cap with help from
Janice Cashel.

TOLEDO, Calif. -- Walk into the Shared Lives Studio across from Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo and you’ll be greeted by colorful dragonflies, funky coffee mugs, eclectic jewelry, striking photography, and original paintings — both whimsical and serious.
You can also see the artists at work — drawing, painting, and creating as music plays in the background.
The scene is much the same at the aptly named Kan Du Studio on South Main Street in downtown Findlay, where artists such as Taryn Bregel find inspiration and a market for their artwork.

Autistic Girl Named 'Teen Hero' at Samsung Hope for Children Event

PARKLAND, Fla. -- The 10th annual Samsung Hope for Children event in New York featured former President Bill Clinton, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Moore and Dan Marino, but a Parkland teenager nonetheless stood out.

Haley Moss, autistic but with artistic talent to burn, was honored with the Teen Hero award by Marino, who she is working with to raise funds for children with special needs. Other stars at the event took home some of her artworks as gifts while seven were auctioned off to raise money for charity.

Art Liberates People with Severe Disabilities

Just a wonderful story and clearly an innovative program for people at Matheny Medical and Education Center.


PEAPACK, N.J. -- Geometric shapes dance within a field of varied textures as vivid slashes of color carom across the canvas. More amazing than this intricate, energized painting is the artist who created it — for he can neither speak nor move his limbs.
The Arts Access Program at the Matheny Medical and Educational Center in Peapack enables the unfolding of miracles. Highly trained artist-facilitators and sophisticated methods restore hands and voices to severely disabled clients, by which they reclaim the creative potency of their minds and hearts, with magnificent results. A sampling of some of the results can be viewed at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark.

Teen With Autism Honored For Artwork

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. -- Victoria Wright, 13, threw up her arms in triumph. One hand gripped a bouquet of flowers and the other a proclamation citing Victoria Wright Day here.
Victoria, who has autism, was honored July 19 during a Chesterfield City Council meeting with a proclamation recognizing her skills as an artist.
She grinned ear to ear and blew kisses to her family when the entire crowd stood to applaud her.

Artists' Abilities Outshine Disabilities

Check out this great story from the Richmond News in Canada (yes, I'm going outside the U.S. again) about how art is helping people with developmental disabilities. Hopefully society will some day recognize their talents and abilities and see beyond the disability.

The painting of a smiling violinist haloed by a shimmering green sun is compelling.
What is even more gripping is the fact that it was created by a 49-year-old man who never held a paintbrush until two years ago. Oh yes, Enrico Magsago also uses a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy.