The Art of Autism and a NYC Show!

"Fast Food" by Bryce Merlin

Self-Portrait by Bryce Merlin

We are excited as our family plans to meet in NYC at the SoHo Digital Arts Gallery for "The Art of Autism" show on October 27, 2011 (6-9 pm) and a special performance event and film showing on the 28th. My son, Bryce Merlin (age 30), has had four drawings accepted into the show, organized by Debra Hosseini, author of "Artism: The Art of Autism," SoHo Digital Arts Gallery, and Keri Bowers of Normal Films. Other wonderful artists will be there as well, from the U.S. and other countries such as Israel and Morocco.

Like everyone on the face of the earth, Bryce has experienced challenges. He has strengths and weaknesses, dreams, and ideas. He is himself and all that brings, surprising those he meets with his creativity, persistence, and approach. Bryce also faces obvious hurdles as he navigates through life in yellow glasses, yellow hearing aid, yellow shoes and a hand-painted T-shirt featuring Sponge Bob Squarepants. He is friendly, verbal, and colorful. (We are in discussion on what to wear while in New York. Since his only other visit there was on September 9 - 12, 2001, this 10-year anniversary visit is going to be extra special to our family.)


Here is more information on the gallery show/event and Outsider Art:

Artism: The Art of Autism
By Debra Hosseini

ARTISM: The Art of Autism

Opening Reception Thursday, October 27th, 2011 6pm – 9pm

SoHo Gallery for Digital Art

138 Sullivan St., New York, NY 10012 

(212) 228-2810

About The Art of Autism and Debra Hosseini

Visit Debra's page on Facebook

Artism: The Art of Autism compiled by Debra Hosseini, edited by Rosa Martinez, Ph.D, with a foreword by Karen Simmons, CEO of Autism Today and Keri Bowers, film producer. This book features 54 artists on the autism spectrum and essays by Dr. Darold Treffert, Stephen Shore, and Colin Zimbleman on autism and art.

About the Special Performance Event on Oct. 28, 2011:

Keri Bowers of Normal Films

“The Art of Autism is a multi-city tour featuring performers on the autism spectrum - bands, dance, comedy, monologues, artists.”

Friday, October 28: 6-10 p.m. at The SoHo Gallery for Digital Art

About the Gallery: 

"SoHo Gallery for Digital Art is dedicated to re-establishing SoHo as an international center for the development of new artistic forms, concepts and ideas.” John Ordover, owner. Learn more here.

About Bryce Merlin: 

In 2005, Bryce received a grant from the Ohio Arts Council toward production of a book of his stories and artwork: Notes from Ohio. It is 64 pages and available on Amazon for $6, with all sales revenue going directly to Bryce.

“To say that this book is inspiring is an understatement. I was moved to tears by Bryce's faith, passion and desire to give hope to others. The book is filled with a collage of captivating stories told directly from Bryce's big heart. You will find adventure, love and even laughter through his experiences. In addition to his essays, Bryce shares his artwork and photos of he and his family celebrating life. Notes from Ohio is a touching, heartfelt read that is guaranteed to lift anyone's spirits! Bryce is a beacon of hope for young people everywhere.”

~Melissa Kline, author of young adult fiction, My Beginning

About Outsider Art: 

“Learning about Outsider Art”  (June 2009)

“Michael Jackson Drawings” (July 2009)

Links to My Favorite Outsider Art Links (on My Delicious)

"Mom" by Bryce Merlin

© 2011 by Janice Phelps Williams. All rights reserved. www.janicephelps.com

Learning about Outsider Art

Several years ago, I was browsing in Barnes and Noble's magazine section and came across the magazine Raw Vision. I'd never seen anything like the art inside of it; but it reminded me a bit of the creations done by my eldest son. Projects involving cut up paper, trinkets, glitter and lots and lots of packing tape.

Raw Vision's website states the following:

Raw Vision remains the world's only international journal of the art of the 'unknown geniuses' who are the creators of Outsider Art. Untrained, unschooled and uninfluenced by the art world, the work of these artists continues to stun and amaze. They invent their own forms, techniques and create private worlds.

Raw Vision can give art lovers a unique insight into the power
of 'raw' creativity which contrasts completely with the prosaic world of conceptual and institutional contemporary art so prevalent in our museums and galleries today. It is not for nothing that Outsider Art has been termed 'the hidden face of contemporary art', like the hidden face of the moon.

I went on to buy a few books on outsider art, and visited websites about the subject. Concurrently, my son Bryce was finding his way into adulthood, with the various ups and downs physically and mentally challenged folks do. We were seperated for awhile, and he began writing me letters and stories. Each envelope itself was a work of art, and a testament to the deciphering abilites of the USPS. Today we are only 2 hours apart; I still get notes, cards, and lists from him (including a torn paper three-dimensional nativity scene last Dec.)...and the envelopes are still decorated.

In 2002, the Ohio Arts Council granted Bryce a few hundred dollars to have books printed containing his stories and drawings. The book is called Notes from Ohio. How proud he was of it when it came out! And so was I. With four books of my own out, and with having designed and/or edited over 200 books in the last ten years including a few award winners and books by NY Times bestselling authors, I can honestly say my son's little 64-page book meant the most to me to see printed.

As time has gone on, Bryce's creations have ranged from three-dimensional to flat painted works. He's taken dolls or figures and altered them with fabric, paint, tape, cardboard... (see ongoing project of a wrestling rink made using the base of a birdcage, below). He makes collages on cardboard using photographs or drawings of family members, strings the collage through a length of ribbon and wears it around his neck on the day that person is visiting him. He weaves and strings bracelets, decoupages his hats, paints and glitterizes his shoes, and always seems to have tape stuck to his sweat pants--but then I've spent a good part of my life with paint under my fingernails...

Current projects include a desire to paint on the front, back and arms of his 4x T-shirts. To the point where at his 28th b-day party last week, I realized he's a walking work of art; or advertisement for fabric paint and Sponge Bob, the design on the shirt. And then I realized, he's found his medium! and it is paint and fabric. So, I've just purchased canvases and larger bottles of fabric paint; stay tuned. Bryce's artwork and jewelry was recently accepted into Heart to Art Galleria in Marietta, Ohio, and is available for sale at their shop there at 208 Front St. Learn more at an article I wrote on the Galleria, May 2009.

Creativity is a wonderful thing. A healing thing. A soothing, comforting thing. It impresses those who having been raised thinking "what if?" and challenges those raised hearing "you'd better not." Creativity does not discriminate against those who seem to lack in some ability the rest of us couldn't imagine living without. Like that weird plumbing fix-it tube of expandable caulking, creativity expands to fill in the empty places within us. It makes everything in life sweeter--messier, yes, but sweeter. It soothes the savage beast, too.

Creativity gives folks a common language. Because art ignores the idea of a right way to draw and a wrong way to draw, and focuses on an individual's vision, there is a spirit of acceptance that is encouraged when people for whom much of life is a case of their differentness, their perceiving "lack of-ness", their inappropriateness even, being emphasized.

Art is a way to think and dream and muse on what is important to us, what is meaningful to our lives, what makes life beautiful, or ugly. It is a way to tell others what matters to us, to get them to see it too. It is a way to communicate, and to learn. It can even the playing field. It can show us all new things.

On this page, I've placed images of some of Bryce's work. I am also listing links to websites devoted to Outsider art.

One person knowledgable in the subject states that one day Outsider Art will be considered a genre like Impressionism. Perhaps it already is. Then there will be those imitating the style, and just trying to get away with capitalizing on the term. I mean, it might be difficult to tell if something is a work of art, or just a drawing by a well-marketed second grader. But, the more we expose ourselves to the various artists, the better our discernment and appreciation of this subject will be.

Encourage all of the artists around you: no one is too young, too old, too poor, too disabled, too anything, to put pencil to paper and see what happens. This is a wonderful time to be an artist. There are so many tools and venues available to creative people today. To those who are gifted and talented and intelligent and charismatic; and to those who are struggling, and odd, and confused, and challenged. I'm glad that both of my children, two very different young men with very different lives, hopes and dreams, embrace their creativity and listen to their inner artist. Seeing creativity manifested in my children makes me feel such joy, deep inside my heart.

Note: If you are interested in purchasing Bryce's artwork, or prints of his artwork, and do not live near Marietta, Ohio, please contact me by email at "art at janicephelps dot com" and put "Bryce Art" in the subject matter. His book, Notes from Ohio, is available on Amazon.com.

Websites:

Very Special Arts: http://www.vsaarts.org/

Very Special Arts of Ohio (National org.): http://www.vsao.org/

Blue Shoe Arts (Fairfield County, OH): http://blueshoearts.org/

Passionworks (Athens County, OH): http://www.passionworks.org/

Various outsider art galleries, as listed on Raw Vision's website: http://www.rawvision.com/exhib/galleries.html

What Is Outsider Art?: http://www.outsiderart.info/

Harry Teague: http://www.harryteague.com/

Interesting collection of outsider art: http://www.outsiderart.info/sent/index.html

The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art: http://www.art.org/

Henry Boxer Gallery: http://www.outsiderart.co.uk/

The Lynch Collection of Outsider Art: http://www.ncwc.edu/Arts/Lynch/

The Anthony Pettulo Collection: http://www.pettuloartcollection.org/

Heart to Art Galleria - Marietta, Ohio

Yesterday, Mark and I took a beautiful drive via Rt 550 from Athens over to Marietta, Ohio for the Grand Opening of the Heart to Art Galleria at 208 Front Street. I learned of the Heart to Art Galleria shop, from WASCO, Inc. “WASCO is a public nonprofit agency created by parents in the 1950s to create vocational opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.”

The Galleria interested me because I was looking for an outlet for my son, Bryce's, arts and crafts. Bryce works at a sheltered workshop in Ohio, but didn't have a way to sell the jewelry and drawings he's created. Passionworks, the wonderful art program for Athens County residents, is unable to take non-Athens County residents' work into their store at this time, and they suggested I contact WASCO. Long story short, Bryce has made several drawings, bracelets, earrings and bookmarks to sell in the Heart to Art Galleria and this, as you can imagine, makes his mom pretty happy.





Marietta, as you might know, is a wonderful town on the Ohio River. Described on its visitor website as follows:

“…a picturesque river town with European ambience. Located on the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, Marietta was the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory, established in 1788. Its brick streets are lined with lush hardwood trees and opulent Victorian homes. With lots of history, two waterways, and a bustling downtown, it was ranked 79 among Best Smaller Places by Forbes magazine in 2000. The vibrant historic district offers many distinctive stores, antique shops, boutiques, and galleries, as well as several independent restaurants and cozy cafes.”

Nancy Harris, Business Development Manager at WASCO, took the time to answer my questions so folks could learn more about the shop.

JPW: Nancy, I see the

dichrioc jewelry sold online on WASCO’s site; it’s beautiful! How long have WASCO artists been creating and selling this jewelry?
NH: We received a grant from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council in 2005.

JPW: How was the decision made to go from selling jewelry online to having a brick-and-mortar store in downtown Marietta with a variety of products?
NH: WASCO’s mission is to assist adults with developmental disabilities to be a viable part of their community. “There are a variety of ways in which we do this,” states Jan Powell, Director of WASCO. “Exploring employment opportunities is our main mission, but at the same time we want Marietta to see our commitment to be involved in our community”.

JPW: What sort of products are going to be sold in the store and what are the price ranges?
NH: Shoppers will see a unique display of creative art products such as greeting cards, planters, porch and picnic furniture, jewelry, pottery, and sewn products such as quilts and pillows. Heart to Art Galleria also displays many art prints. WASCO’s store is all about uniting people with different abilities, giving them the opportunity to showcase their work.


JPW: Tell us a bit about the individuals who create these products.
NH: All of the products are created by adults with disabilities. The majority of them receive services through County Board Programs located throughout the State of Ohio.

JPW: Are the artists from Washington County (OH) alone, or from other Ohio counties as well?
NH: All of the artists reside in the State of Ohio.

JPW: What are the open hours at Heart to Art Galleria?
NH: Monday – Saturday 9AM – 5PM

After our visit there yesterday, we learned that in addition to the beautiful jewelry sold at Heart to Art Galleria, there is a wide variety of offerings, including: wooden gliders and other lawn furniture; ceiling and backsplash tiles; paintings on canvas; Athens' Passionwork's products and Fairfield County's Blue Shoe Arts' products; Buckeye keychains; decorative stones for the garden (we bought one that said "All Dog's Go to Heaven"--it was under $10!); potpourri; stuffed toys; even fair trade coffee! Many Ohio County Board's of Developmental Disabilities are represented in the store with creations by their clients--and I think folks new to the genre of "outsider art" will be astounded at how beautiful these creations are.

There are a lot of things to do and see in Marietta, and if you’re anything like me, a day away is sometimes more restorative than a longer vacation. Marietta is 120 miles from Columbus, 75 miles from Charleston, WV, 170 miles from Cleveland, and 160 miles from Pittsburgh. From Athens, where Mark and I live, it is not far at all, about a 50-minute drive. Be sure to visit the Heart to Art Galleria and purchase one of their artists’ creations for yourself, your home, or as a gift. You’ll be adding beauty to your life and supporting the creative efforts of some very special people.

Note: After visiting the Galleria, we ate lunch at Austyn's Restaurant, (click on link to see their menu) also on Front Street and near to the public parking lot along the waterfront, where the photo above was taken. It was delicious! I had the strawberry walnut salad and Mark had the club sandwich. For desert, creme brulee and coffee. A perfect addition to our morning get-away. Their dinner menu looked very good too; the restaurant and food it offered reminded me of some of the places we ate when we were in NYC earlier this year (namely Benjamin Steakhouse), and also, Sarava, one of my favorite restaurants (Shaker Square, Cleveland). In other words, a real gem of an eatery, right here in SE Ohio.

















Update: 6/18/09. My mother is visiting from FL and we drove over to Marietta today, stopping in at the Heart to Art Galleria. Nancy Harris called me beforehand and told me that tomorrow night, 6/19/09, is the Mayor's Jubilee in downtown Marietta--music, art, shopping, food--sounds wonderful.

It was great to learn that some of my son Bryce's artwork had been purchased and to see what it was that captured visitors' attention (his portrait of Aunt Joan and his drawing of an angel). I also had the opportunity today to meet four of the WASCO jewelry artists who, under the direction of Kim and Chuck, were creating absolutely beautiful glass pendants for necklaces (such as are sold on their website and in the store). I saw how carefully the artists choose the colors and shapes that go on the pendants and they explained to me the process for completing the jewelry (firing in the kiln and then the findings attached so that the pendants can be hung on a necklace).

I noticed that many things that I'd seen on my first visit there for the grand opening were now sold. Great! There are still a lot of great products there and more are on the way. Passionworks and Blue Shoe Arts from Athens and Fairfield Counties, respectively, are well represented. Stuffed toys from Allen County are also there.

Mother and I ate at Austyn's and went into a wonderful gift shop, an antique shop, and a secondhand clothing store. It was a wonderful way to spend a day off of work.