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PERFORMING ARTS & GALLERY

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TOPAZ ARTS, Inc.
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization.
All contributions are
fully tax-deductible.
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Past Exhibitions 2008

Out of Bounds:
Pathways to Creative Empowerment
artworks created by individuals with developmental disabilities from AHRC NYC

September 26 to October 26, 2008
Opening Reception: Fri, Sept 26, 1-8pm

Gallery hours: Fridays 12-2pm or by appointment
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TOPAZ ARTS presents Out of Bounds: Pathways to Creative Empowerment - a visual arts exhibition features the vivid paintings and sculptures created by individuals with developmental disabilities who attend the AHRC Day Programs in Queens. Opening reception, Fri, Sept 26, 2008 from 1–8pm.

Created during art workshops at AHRC, Art Teacher Jason A. Cina explains “Instead of requesting the students to paint a house, a tree or other realistic objects, I chose projects designed to tap into their innate abilities and that would provide opportunities for them to express themselves as individuals channeling their different moods and perceptions through a variety of materials.” Employing the concept of “action painting” (a style made famous by the late Jackson Pollack), the process used was laying large sheets of paper on the floor and placing numerous cans and colors of latex paint. The only instructions given to the students was to choose one color at a time and to let the paint drip off the stick used to apply the paint onto the paper.

Cina describes the process, “Each individual approached the project in a distinct way, based on their current mood and personality. Some were delicate and precise, while others were vigorous and free. Allowing the students to make their own choices without any imposition of controls that might squelch their creativity provided them with a sense of release and freedom.” In the making of the intricate wire sculptures, continuing this philosophy of non-interference, the individuals chose structures, applying colors and different materials with as little assistance as possible creating organic yet complex forms. Exploring creative empowerment in techniques that allow one to go “out of bounds”, these vibrant gestural works inspire a spontaneity in both the artist and the viewer.

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AHRC New York City, a family governed organization, is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The aim of AHRC’s work has been to offer disabled individuals day to day living that is as rich, absorbing and worthwhile as possible, with an emphasis on helping individuals live up to their maximum potential in the community. In the past fifty years AHRC has helped to create a life for people with developmental disabilities that did not exist previously. For more info, please contact 212-780-2500 or visit www.ahrcnyc.org

 

 

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