On April 29 from 5 – 7 p.m., University of Idaho students and the Moscow community are invited to attend the artAbility open house hosted by the Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development in the 1912 Center.
The event is a culmination of the artAbility project which allows adults with disabilities in the Moscow area to explore creative talents, develop skills by working with local artists and spend time with friends. The artAbility showcase is free to attend and includes interactive art activities and a chance to view and purchase art from participants.
UI student and artAbility Coordinator, Alena Ramkissoon, explained that the artAbility project is just one facet of the many resources and services the Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development provides.
“Our mission is to serve disability across the lifespan and in all aspects of life. So, we have multiple different projects that serve multiple different aspects of disability at different stages,” said Ramkissoon.
Along with artAbility, the Center also rents educational support resources through the Assistive Technology Project and provides childcare through the Idaho Stars program among others. ArtAbility is a program that invites adults with disabilities in the community to attend free art workshops throughout the year hosted by local artists, with the culmination of the program being the annual artAbility showcase where participants can present the results of their hard work for the community to enjoy.
“We provide free and accessible art workshops here in the Moscow community,” Ramkissoon said. “Typically, we have three to four in the fall and then three to four in the spring semester and these workshops are free for participants to access. All the materials and everything are covered by us.”
Not only do the workshops give community members with disabilities a chance to improve their art skills, but they also serve as a chance to build relationships, make friends and be an active part of the Moscow community.
“People with disabilities need things to do,” Ramkissoon said. “They are people, and every person needs community, every person needs fellowship with their peers, every person needs self-expression, and art is very self-expressive.”
Individuals with disabilities need community just as much as anyone, and this project goes a long way towards providing that community in Moscow.
“ArtAbility also provides a social aspect, and we saw this need in the community to have engaging and enriching and self-expressive times and places for people with disabilities so that’s why I think it’s important for people to be able to gather here to go and see their friends, Ramkissoon said. It gives them a chance to do something fun, do something expressive.”
The program was founded 10 years ago by a UI student and continues to be run by UI students like Ramkissoon today. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the artAbility program, this year’s showcase is going to have some big changes and surprises.
In addition to being able to view and purchase art, this year’s attendees will also have the opportunity to make some art of their own through mini workshops hosted by UI students and faculty.
“This year, I wanted to give people participating a little bit more, so they’ll not only be seeing the art but also creating some art,” Ramkissoon said. “We’ll be having a mini art workshop taking place during the showcase where people can walk through and create their own tree ring art!”
There will also be a chance to participate in something called “ripple mapping” which will demonstrate the lasting positive effects of a community program such as this one.
“So, what we’re going to be doing is taking stories and personal experiences and how artAbility as project has impacted people. We’ll be asking everyone; community members, participants, family members, friends, students, whoever is there and willing to share our story,” Ramkissoon said. “It will be documented and written up on a board to show the different interconnections and it’ll be really cool to show how artAbility has impacted people the past 10 years.”
There will also be a free art raffle where all attendees will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a print of one of the first art pieces ever made at artAbility 10 years ago. The event is open to everyone in the UI and Moscow community, and Ramkissoon encourages everyone interested to attend.
“So, coming to the event, you get to meet the participants, you get to meet the self-advocates and artists who created all this work, and you get to meet a community of people that you might otherwise never interact with,” Ramkissoon said.
For those interested, there will be art available for purchase, but no purchase is necessary to enjoy a lovely evening supporting the artAbility community and viewing some great art.
“People are welcome to purchase art pieces that are for sale, with the proceeds going directly back to the artists who created it,” Ramkissoon said. “But there’s a lot of things to do, you can come and spend money you or you can come without spending money and still can end up going home with something. It’s a win-win.”
More information about the artAbility project can be found on the Idaho Center on Disability and Human Development website.
Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]