About the Arts Access Facilitation Experience
Audience participation required. Imagine yourself an artist. Now, imagine that you no longer can use your arms and legs and that you have limited use of speech. How would you go about your daily life and how would you be able to express yourself as an artist? These questions represent the reality of the artists participating in the Matheny Arts Access Program.
In this hands-on workshop participants will learn what the term “facilitated arts program” means, how it works, and what it’s like to create art using one. During this workshop participants will experience first-hand creating art in a facilitated art program by role playing as both an artist with a disability and that of a facilitating artist.
About Arts Access
Founded in 1993, Matheny’s Arts Access Program empowers individuals with disabilities to create art without boundaries. Using Arts Access’ innovative communication systems, the artists have complete freedom to explore a world that is only defined by their unlimited creativity and unique self-expression. Participants choose everything from the paint color and brush stroke to a dance or theatrical movement, to the written word, and create works of art that are distinctly their own. Daily, Arts Access fosters an environment of artistic creativity among its artists, and works to change perceptions about the capabilities and talents of people with disabilities.
About Matheny
Matheny is a special hospital and school for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities. Our special education school provides academics, combined with functional life skills, for students ages 3-21. Matheny Hospital provides comprehensive medical care for inpatients and outpatients.
