Margins to Mainstream - Sonoma County Museum

Sonoma County Museum
Educator Guide
Untitled, Donald Mitchell, Creative Growth Artist
Margins to Mainstream
Contemporary Artists with Disabilities
June 15 -Sept. 15, 2013
The Sonoma County Museum (SCM) will present the works of contemporary artists with
disabilities in a series of six exhibitions throughout the Museum. The exhibitions focus on
outstanding and often overlooked artists with disabilities as well as artists with mental illness.
Diane Evans, Executive Director was the curator and Bob Nugent, SCM’s Board Member was the
co-curator of the artwork. The Museum’s main gallery focuses on artists working out of
Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland and two artists from South Korea working with AbleArt
and Raw+Side, organizations providing art programs for disabled artists. The artwork selected
includes works on paper, fiber art, ceramics, and video. Several of the Creative Growth artists
have been collected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and featured in exhibitions
around the world.
The Museum will also present exhibitions featuring the work of Sonoma County artists
including Rodger Warnecke and artists associated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness
(NAMI), Becoming Independent (BI) and the Wellness and Advocacy Center. These
organizations serve adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing
an environment for artistic development, exhibition and representation along with fostering
independence in a social atmosphere among peers.
Historically, a number of famous artists and figures have struggled with degrees of mental
health and disability challenges and made great contributions to the world. Certain theories
suggest having mental health challenges may also open the mind artistically. For example,
unique brain chemistry may be the avenue for a direct expression of raw, untainted and
creative impulses.
Most notably, Vincent van Gogh suffered from epileptic seizures and manic episodes of
enormous energy and great passion. Later in his life, he alternated between fits of madness and
lucidity and was sent to the asylum in Saint-Remy for treatment for close to 2 years. A PostImpressionist painter, many of his works have an uncensored, beautiful and visceral effect.
When he was in his late twenties Jackson Pollock suffered a mental breakdown. A lead painter
in Abstract Expressionism, it’s surmised this was caused in part by depression and dependence
on alcohol. He was allegedly treated by a Jungian psychoanalyst who addressed his emotional
health and unconscious mind, dreams, and emotions. This ‘world inside’ would become the
subject of many of his paintings.
Other artists and famous figures have suffered from the symptoms of mental health challenges
or physical disabilities including Pablo Picasso, Michelangelo, Frida Kahlo and Ludwig van
Beethoven. Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of United States, also suffered from severe and
debilitating clinical depression his whole life. Fortunately, he was able to work through this
condition to lead our young nation when it was at war with itself.
Glossary
Mental health challenges (preferred term in lieu of mental illness): Any disease or condition
affecting the brain that influences the way a person thinks, feels, behaves and/or relates to
others and to his or her surroundings.
Peer-run or Peer-managed: A peer support program that entails help from someone who has
been in similar situations. A peer-run center for people with mental health challenges means
all the staff can relate to members’ difficulties and needs from an insider’s point of view.
Self-taught: Artists without formal/academic fine-art training. Often they have invented their
own style, perspective, and technique, which make their art unique.
Documentation: Evidence of art pieces which might be private, not permanent, cannot be
moved, or is site-specific.
Site-specific: An artwork, in part, dependent upon its particular surrounding or location for its
meaning and effect.
Special needs: The individual requirements (as for education) of a person with a disadvantaged
background or a mental, emotional, or physical disability or a high risk of developing one.
Found-art or Found-object: An everyday or recycled object (sometimes manufactured) utilized
in an artwork. The artist’s deliberate choice of the object “frames” it, which can change its
meaning in the work and thus the world. Similar to how a frame works around a picture.
(Glossary terms above were provided in part by the Wellness and Advocacy Center.)
Mixed-media- A work of art using more than one medium.
Sculpture- A three dimensional work of art. Such works may be carved, modeled constructed
or cast.
Collage: Attachment of various objects to a surface or artwork. From the French verb ‘coller’,
meaning to glue.
Medium- The material(s) or substance an artist uses to create an art work.
Three dimensional- Three dimensions: having height, width and depth.
Two dimensional – Two dimensions: width and length.
Abstract: Artworks or paintings having only an intrinsic form with little or no pictorial or literal
representation.
Impressionism: A theory or practice in painting especially among French painters of about
1870 depicting the natural appearances of objects by means of dabs or strokes of vibrant or
non-traditional colors to simulate actual reflected light. Claude Monet and Pierre August Renoir
were leaders of this movement.
Post-Impressionism: A movement in art in the early 1900s breaking free from the naturalism of
Impressionism that evokes subjective impressions more than by recreating an objective reality.
Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gough are associated with this movement.
Surrealism: Originated in the late 1910s and early '20s first as a literary movement which
sought to release the unbridled imagination of the subconscious. This influenced visual art and
artists depicting similar themes in their works. Frida Kahlo is associated with this movement.
Expressionism: Style of art that began early in the 20th century based on expressing the artist’s
inner world, perspective and emotions. Edvard Munch is associated with this movement.
Abstract Expressionism: Began in the middle of the 20th century around the mid- 1940s (after
World War II) in New York and describes contemporary paintings that convey attitudes and
emotions through abstract and nonrepresentational means. Jackson Pollock is associated with
this movement.
Pop art: An art movement and style which is focused on familiar images of popular culture.
Began in the early 1960s. Andy Warhol, Jim Dine and Claes Oldenburg are associated with this
movement.
Take a Mental Health Quiz!
( Middle and High School Grades.)
1. People with mental health challenges can’t expect to recover, but they can find degrees of happiness.
True or false?
False: Recovery rates for mental health challenges (including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major
depression) surpass the treatment success rates for many other physical illnesses, including heart
disease (National Advisory Mental Health Council,1998).
2. People with mental health challenges tend to be unpredictable and violent. True or false?
False: People with mental health challenges are no more violent than the general population. You
probably know someone with mental health challenges and don’t even realize it (US Department of
Health and Human Services, 2006).
3. There are up to 200,000 people with serious mental health challenges who are homeless in
the United States. True or false?
True: (Source: US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2006.)
4. Mental health challenges could affect anyone. True or false?
True: More than 54 million (or nearly one in five) Americans have a psychiatric disorder in any given year
(Surgeon General 1999). Mental health challenges do not discriminate, and can affect anyone(US
Department of Health and Human Services 2006).
Quiz courtesy of the Wellness and Advocacy Center in Santa Rosa.
Pre- and Post-Visit Activities for Disability Awareness
Fun activity guide for various ages:
http://www.dvusd.org/docs/edservices/Disability_Awareness.pdf
(Please note the term mental retardation is used in this document instead of the preferred
updated term, developmental disability.)
More resources:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson115.shtml
Activities for Grades K-5th
1. Fold a paper in-half in the long way. Choose an image provided by your teacher.
(Instructors: Please provide simple images from which to draw or copy.) Draw the image using
your writing hand on one side of paper. Then try to draw the same image on the other side of
the paper using your non-writing hand. Discuss what you discover while you were using your
less-coordinated hand to draw with. Drawing this way allows the use of the other side of the
brain in a whole new way. It creates a different way of looking at the world. Those with special
needs also help us see the world in a new way, from their perspective, through their art.
Activities for Grades - 5th- 8th
Introduce one of the exhibiting artists in Margins to Mainstream: Ken Rossi (affiliated NAMI
organization). Ken has been legally blind since birth and totally blind after he was 18 years old.
He draws and colors his art with oil pastels because he can feel the textures. (Ken’s bio is in the
NAMI section of this guide.)
1. Place a piece of paper in front to draw on and hold a drawing utensil in your hand (crayon,
pencil, etc.). Close your eyes and imagine a picture in your mind’s eye. Keep your eyes closed
and start to draw the picture you see in your mind. Don’t peek! Use your senses and sense of
touch to guide the entire drawing and feeling for the edges of the paper, etc.
After you are finished, open your eyes and discuss with the class your experience of drawing
without sight. Was it fun? Hard? Did it come out how you visualized in your mind? Did
something else unexpected occur? Were your other senses helpful?
Activities for 9th -12th Grade to Gain Awareness for Disability Programs
1. Some centers that have art programs and serve artists with disabilities in Sonoma County
(such as the Wellness and Advocacy Center) have a peer-run art programs. This means the
people who run the program have been through similar experiences as the artists they serve.
Try to make a plan for any kind of peer-operated program that you would run. What is your
focus? What do you think is beneficial to have in your program for your peers? What kind of
challenges would you anticipate? Please describe.
A. What kind of activity you like to have in your program and why? (Art, computer, exercise,
etc?)
B. Can you think of a project which could get your group to discuss common issues or
interests?
C. Please note that your peer-program can be hobby-based as well.
Contributions of activities for K-5th and 9-12th courtesy of the Wellness and Advocacy Center.
Select Artist Bios in Exhibition:
Location: East Gallery, First Floor
Rodger Warnecke
Rodger Cushing Warnecke was born in Oakland California on August 3, 1949. He grew up in the San
Francisco Bay Area and spent his summers in Sonoma County at the family ranch and vineyards. Rodger
became a professional artist while still in high school at the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts
where the Chairman of the Art Department, acclaimed him as the “student at Andover with more
promise as an artist than any other in the prior 20 years.” After graduating from Andover in 1968,
Rodger entered Stanford University, where he studied art with Nathan Oliveira and Frank Lobdell. In his
sophomore year he left Stanford, explaining that he simply did not feel well enough to attend. His
drawings became smaller and smaller until he stopped drawing all together.
Within a year he was diagnosed with acute schizophrenia and was hospitalized and lost all his previous
desire to paint or participate in art. He did not paint or participate in art for the next 25 years. In 1994
Rodger received new medical treatment that relived many of the symptoms of his medical condition.
With the helpful aid of art therapists Rodger started to paint again and has been painting ever since.
Now living independently in Sonoma County, Rodger continues to paint enthusiastically in a studio on
the family ranch. Rodger is inspired by California regional painters such as Wayne Thiebaud, Abstract
Expressionists such as Frank Stella, and Post- Impressionists such as van Gogh, Gauguin, and Soutine. He
believes in painting with the seasons and connecting to nature’s rhythms through his artwork. His
paintings and drawings are interior “ landscapes” depicted by interlocking abstract patterns.
Rodger describes his process:
“I think about the pen on the paper and the drawing that I’m creating. When you put a lot of scribbles
down you get a design. They are the images of freshly mowed lawn and field grass. The relationship
between the artist and the painting is perfect.”
Class Activity:
Rodger Warnecke was influenced by Post-Impressionist, Vincent van Gogh. Compare his
painting below to a landscape work by van Gogh. In what ways are they similar? Different?
Night Howl, Second Moon by Rodger Warnecke
Organizations Exhibiting in Margins to Mainstream Serving Artists with Disabilities
Select bios of artists associated with organizations that serve adults with disabilities exhibiting
in Margins to Mainstream are listed below. The organizations provided most of the information
of their artists, and some included pictures. Information about the disability or diagnosis of the
artist was not provided for confidentiality reasons. The exhibition focuses on the art of the
artists and descriptions include their unique perspectives, artistic techniques and philosophies to
help understand the themes and subjects of their art. In tours, the docent may compare the
exhibitors’ works to well-known artists, paintings and styles mentioned in the Glossary section
of the guide. Please inform us of terms or artists studied so we may reinforce these topics during
your visit.
AbleArt: (South Korea) Affiliated Artists
Location: Main Gallery, First Floor (Video Stations)
AbleArt Center in Suwon, Korea is the first culture and art space to support the cultural right
realization and the cultural & artistic education for the disabled in Korea. The organization aims
to help the disabled to achieve their own dignities through expressional activities.
Cho, Min-Seo
Born 1995 in Seoul, Korea. Mr. Cho began to draw with a pencil, creating body parts from
reptiles and dinosaurs. He was extremely prolific over the years and had to throw many boxes
of drawings away because there was no room to store them. After a time, the artist realized
that his drawings developed their own order and sense of movement. Just one year ago, he
scanned drawings to make an animation by computer. In this exhibition, Mr. Cho presents his
new video works and about ten films which last no more than ten seconds produced in
Korea. He lives and works in Korea.
___________________________________________________________________________
Raw+Side: (South Korea) Affiliated Artists
Raw+Side is a non-profit organization that works with disabled individuals who lack institutional
art education but seek out creative activities. The organization connects its clients to art
supporters and helps them connect to the world. http://rawsiders.egloos.com
Kwak, Ky-Seob
Born 1988 in Korea. At the age of five, when he was diagnosed with autism, Kyu Seob already
created his unique world with pencils and notebooks. He is interested in plants, herbs, organic
healthy foods, train maps, music, 8-bit computer games. From 2008 on, he started to
collaborate with Raw+Side producing 200 characters as well as making animations (Kitty and
Tulip) based on the characters. He called himself “mennem” and also changes the name of
Raw+Side to “Rawsidedaeumi”.
___________________________________________________________________
Creative Growth: Affiliated Artists
Location: Main Gallery, First Floor
Since 1973, Creative Growth (CG) has played a significant role in increasing public interest in
the artistic capabilities and achievements of people with disabilities. Artwork created at CG is
exhibited directly in the on-site gallery as well as in outside galleries, museums, and private
collections throughout the world. CG provides a professional art studio setting and facilitation
for over 140 artists in drawing, painting, video production, ceramics, mosaics, wood, fiber arts,
textiles, printmaking and photography. Two of the CG artists have been collected by the
Museum of Modern Art in New York. http://creativegrowth.org
F R A N N A
L U S S O N
BORN:
1952, San Pedro, California. At the core of Franna’s work is the immediacy of drawing,
whether that is seen in the swift movements of an animal in the wild or the momentary
gestures of a person at rest. Drawn to the power of human and animal form, Franna uses both
as a vehicle in her artwork to convey the spirit and aspects of the spiritual journey. She employs
a wide range of mixed media in her compositions, including oil paint sticks, ink, charcoal,
graphite, and pastels. In portraiture and collage, Franna’s academic background in fashion
illustration becomes more apparent, especially in her acute understanding of the body and the
deliberateness of her line. She has described her work as being, “less literal and more elemental
– an expression and an exploration of an often unclear inner reality” and that raw energy is
undeniably evident in her depictions of black crows and other animals of prey.
Exhibitions include Different and Special, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Korea (SCM’s
partner museum in North-South Student Exchange Program). Education: Creative Growth Art
Center, 2010-present; Academy of Art College, BFA 1978
Untitled (Raven), no date, Ink on paper
Untitled (Munch), no date, Oil pastel on paper
D A N
M I L L E R
BORN:
1961, Castro Valley, CA. Dan Miller’s artwork reflects his perceptions. Letters and
words are repeatedly overdrawn, often creating ink layered masses, hovering on the page and
built up to the point of obliteration or destruction of the ground. Each work contains the
written recording of the artist’s obsession with objects like light bulbs, electrical sockets, food
and the names of cities and people. Dan continues to work in a variety of media, including
drawing, painting, ceramics, wood sculpture, printmaking, and other mixed media projects.
Miller has had solo exhibitions in New York at Ricco|Maresca Gallery and White Columns, New
York and has been included in group exhibitions at the Berkeley Art Museum, Gavin Brown’s
enterprise, The Museum of Everything, London, Partners and Spade, New York, Gallery Paule
Anglim, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, and ABCD, Paris. Miller’s work is part of the
permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Berkeley Art Museum, and
the Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne, and is included in the private collections of David Byrne,
Cindy Sherman, Maurizio Cattelan, Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg, Thea Westreich & Ethan
Wagner, Nicolas Rohatyn and Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, Andy and Kate Spade among many
others. Education: Creative Growth Art Center, 1992-present.
Untitled (light bulb), 2012, Acrylic & ink on paper
Untitled, no date, Ceramic (square block), Collection of Chad Graff
Untitled, no date, Ink on paper, Collection of University Art Museum, Berkeley
D O N A L D
M I T C H E L L
BORN:
1951, San Francisco, California. African-American artist Donald Mitchell was born in San
Francisco and has lived with his family in the Bayview/Hunters Point district all of his life. He is
the third of 11 siblings and has enjoyed and benefited from the support of his large family as
well as friends in the community where he is a familiar resident.
Donald has been a studio artist at Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland since 1986. His early
work consisted primarily of obsessively crosshatched fields of lines or brush strokes that
obliterated the ground and hid any trace of underlying image.
Several years ago a change began in Donald’s responsiveness to his environment that heralded
an accompanying change in his artwork. Beginning in small sections of each piece of art, Donald
started to uncover the faces and forms buried in the darkness. Soon the work began to be
populated by figures both in motion and in thought-filled repose. The dense compositions of
scrawled lines or expressive brushstrokes create visions of the relationships between people
that are both dependent and independent of each other. The forms are autonomous or
overlapping, in horizontal fields or a vertical line, with imploring gazes that stare out to the
viewer. He renders these anonymous people one by one until his page is covered with often
dozens of totemic figures. Today his fundamental imagery remains the same – legions of
crowded figures march across the now illuminated field of his vision.
Donald Mitchell is the subject of an artist’s monograph, edited by Cheryl Rivers and published
by Creative Growth in October 2004, with contributions by Tom diMaria, Lucienne Piery, Frank
Maresca and Lyle Rexer, and Colin Rhodes.
Donald Mitchell has exhibited his work at the Berkeley Art Museum, Collection de l’Art Brut;
Gavin Brown’s enterprise, NY; Galerie Impaire, Paris; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San
Francisco and Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco. Education: Creative Growth Art Center,
1986-present.
Untitled, 2012, Acrylic & ink on paper
Untitled, no date, Ink & watercolor on paper
C A R L O S
P E R E Z
BORN:
1984, Oakland, California. Carlos Perez is a master storyteller, weaving his mythology of
the struggles between good and evil through his drawings and mixed media sculptures. Be it
drawing, clay, or textile, each piece is a narration that continues to evolve as the story unfolds.
Carlos enjoys Ghostbusters and Batman, and the majority of his work is based on this
fascination with monsters, many of which he believes to descend from the air ducts and
skylights of the Creative Growth studio.
As Carlos’ story develops, so too will his drawing, yielding a densely layered sheath of built-up
ink and intricate textures. The indentations left by his marks are often the only evidence of the
“ghost dogs” or “owls” that hide beneath his dark abstract worlds. The mixed media textile
pieces are a new body of work for Carlos and much like his drawings he often depicts them as
pregnant with bulbous attachments to represent the babies. In Carlos’ world, ghosts and
monsters give birth, they battle, they fall in love, they have secrets, they sleep, they eat, they
cook with fire, they like rap music, and they die. Education: Creative Growth Art Center, 2008present.
Ghost Dog, Mixed media textile sculpture, Collection of Foster Goldstrom
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Affiliated Artists
Location: West Gallery, First Floor
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) originated in the 1970's. As psychiatric
hospitals were closing, groups of community activists began meeting, all over the United
States to advocate for community services to facilitate that transition. NAMI members continue
their advocacy for funding, programs and respect for this vulnerable population and one of
1100 grass-roots affiliates of the National NAMI. Their mission is to work for a fair, just and
sustainable world for people living with mental health issues. Through education, support and
advocacy, members work to promote social inclusion and understanding working with elected
officials and schools to advocate for opportunities and equality. The art program at NAMI is
open to the public, and provides an art program for inmates at a local prison. NAMI's belief is
that with great challenges come great gifts. http://www.namisonomacounty.org/
Ken Rossi: “I have been legally blind since birth and totally blind since I was 18. I became
involved in this type of painting after I was totally blind. My art comes from my dreams; my
dreams are in color and leave me with vivid impressions. Some of my dreams are memories
from childhood. I remember road trips and pictures. Other dreams come from a higher source.
A reoccurring theme is nature and the environment. I never draw people. My pictures go
directly from my mind to my paper. I use oil pastels because I can feel them on paper and I
blend them with my finger. I must concentrate very hard to make the picture. I have progressed
from very primitive art to a more dramatic vibrant style. At least that is what people tell me.”
Monuments of Bloom, Oil pastel
Storm’s End, Oil pastel
Fall Oasis, Oil pastel
Debbie Logan has done numerous paintings and drawings most of her life. She has taken Art
class at Santa Rosa Junior College and has held Art shows through Creative Living Center(Day
Activity Center).Most of her works are products of her imaginations and she says “ Art makes
me feel good!”
Her main art mediums are water color, acrylic paint and oil pastel. She is a quick worker and
most of her works are done in 20 minutes or less. The art program at Sonoma County
Behavioral Health focuses on expressing one’s feelings with a form of many different types of
art rather than words, which is therapeutic to deal with anxiety, depression and many other
psychiatric symptoms.
Untitled (woman and cat)
Becoming Independent: Affiliated Artists
Location: Upstairs Gallery
Since 1980, Becoming Independent (BI) in Santa Rosa has grown to become the largest service
provider of its kind in the North Bay area, offering a broad variety of vocational, instructional
and support services for those with developmental disabilities. By the early 1990s, ArtWorks
was included in the programming as a vibrant program highlighting the intuitive and
interpretative artists. Various locations throughout the community became the showplaces for
exhibiting art until an on-site gallery opened in 2004. As the art program grew and exhibits
were increasing, BI was offered exhibit space which became The Gallery of Sea and Heaven
located in downtown Santa Rosa’s SOFA (South of A) arts district. Since 2007, the artists have
had a presence in the neighborhood and the building which houses 7 professional artists’
studios. This opportunity literally fulfills the BI mission to promote community inclusion and
participation for people with developmental disabilities. http://www.becomingindependent.org/
Fred Lund has been a Becoming Independent artist for over 30 years,
preceding the current studio environment. Funny, feisty, prolific, and
fashion forward, Fred appreciates the inspirational resources found from
fire trucks, hot air balloons, trains, and planes and has been a passenger
in each. Very popular in the studio as well as with collectors, his
generosity plays out in the drawings with vividly and expertly drawn
items and figures. They are as uplifting, delightful, and welcoming as is
Fred.
Fish Underwater Driving Car
Jerry's Ship
Crowd Source
Spring Time in the Desert
Anna Johnson paints with the use of many adaptive tools, including a
headpiece she affectionately calls her “hummingbird”, a modified record
player, and countless stencils, brushes, and sponges. She is assisted daily
by her instructors who will act as her hands as needed, performing tasks
such as setting up the work station, mixing paint, and researching and
exploring new art forms and techniques all under Anna’s supervision and
direction.
Banter
Alison Koehler is most dedicated to the life of the artist. Her
commitment is apparent in each of the various styles and media she
chooses for the creation of her art. Carefully rendered and thoughtfully
crafted, she intently makes decisions that reach engaging solutions. Ali
stays focused and present as she expresses herself with color and form.
Her painting of the Parthenon was recently selected as a label for the
Imagery Estate Winery Artistic Collection. Her lovely voice can often be
heard in the Becoming Independent garden.
Tom Ammiano, Mosaic
Who let the Dogs Out?!
Bugs
Robert (Bob) Best has been an artist in the Becoming Independent
ArtWorks program since 2005. Prior to his joining the studio artists he
was a member of the a capella choir for 4 years while attending Analy
High School and studied art at Santa Rosa Junior College. Bob has been a
3-time winner of the California State Council of Developmental
Disabilities poster contests. Bob actively contributes to exhibits,
commissions portraits, specializes in landscape painting, and contributes
to local art auctions. He has an enthusiastic and cooperative spirit which
serves as inspiration to other artists in the studio. He is a consistently
talented man whose reliability and imagination are assets to the
program, patrons, and arts community.
Birds
Who let the Dogs Out?!
The Wellness and Advocacy Center: Affiliated Artists
Location: Upstairs Gallery
The Wellness and Advocacy Center The Center for Wellness and Advocacy is a self-help, dropin center for people with mental health challenges in Sonoma County. The program is peeroperated and designed to create a comfortable atmosphere based on the principles of recovery
and resilience. The Art Program is a mining project, digging for the creative energy too often
buried by the social and economic difficulties associated with mental illness. The Center does
not provide any of the services as a “charity” and rather sees its role as removing obstacles for
members who inspire support with their imaginative forms of expression.
One of the Center’s most important philosophies is that “Being who you are can be your form
of art.” Some people’s true art might be their own life story and the Center aims to assist in
communicating that story. The Center works to cultivate the talents of people who may not
even define their work as “art” and strives to put people’s gifts in the right environment.
In addition to the art program, the Center has organic gardens, career/computer lab, support
groups, peer-counseling, and more. The Center is contracted by the Sonoma County
Department of Health Services, Mental Health Division under the auspices of Goodwill
Industries, Redwood Empire and the Center is funded by the Mental Health Services Act.
http://www.wellnessandadvocacy.org/
Alexis Wilson: “Welcome to the whimsical window into Lexi's world.
The characters and settings I create are bursting with color, humor, and
absurdity. My creations are indicative of how I approach life...with joy,
laughter, and button-pushing. Enjoy my demented yet entertaining
reality, and have a complimentary ticket to the circus in my mind.”
“Alexis gives speeches at local schools to promote early intervention and
prevention for mental health. She paints, draws, and makes masks. She
creates her own puppets and uses them in her own movies. When I cut
my long hair I gave it to Alexis. I thought that she could use it for her
puppets. She made "naomi voodoo doll" with it. One time I was on the
phone with her she started saying "Zelda!! Drop Naomi, Drop Naomi!"
Her dog likes the doll because the smell of the hair. She made a frame by
frame animation with that doll which she is going to use in her upcoming
puppet movie. I am very much honored.” From the Art Director of the
Wellness and Advocacy Center, Naomi Murakami.
Naomi and the Pink Tarantula (video) Animals from
Naomi and the Pink Tarantula in the Cyclops Habitat(stuffed puppets in display case)
Sonia Partida: “I love to paint and draw. I also like to make craft of
Popsicle sticks because it keeps me busy and happy. I enjoy making them
for fun.”
From the Art Director of the Wellness and Advocacy Center, Naomi
Murakami:
“Sonia is originally from Mexico. She is a hard working woman who is
always willing to learn new things. Also, she is a real sweetheart. She
really shows her care in everything she does. She is a true artist. Not only
she is prolific, her art-making is out of a real need to create. Her art has
an untainted naive look and yet has mature quality in its content and
approach. Her ego is not inflated. She truly has a sincere attitude towards
her art.”
Fantastic Night (front painting)
Sonia’s Wheels (display case)
Kenneth A Dagostino “… is not only a sweet and caring person, he is a
very prolific and intuitive artist. His drawings are well received by both
the cutting edge and conservative crowds. He also is a genius of making
belt buckles from almost anything. One time he had a dish rack piece on
his belt and it was sticking out pretty far from him. He also shares his selfmade compound words, “Ihavepureholyrighteouscaringlove” (I have pure
holy righteous caring love).” From the Art Director of the Wellness and
Advocacy Center, Naomi Murakami.
His motto is (in his words): “Ethrial truth first…always!”
Kenny’s Creations
Margins to Mainstream - Treasure Hunt!
Circle the picture if you can you find it in the exhibition…
First floor:
Flamingo
Sun
Mountain peaks
Unicorn
Red car
Second floor:
Lady bug
Suggested Reading List:
Resources for Educators
The Schneider Family Book Award, donated by Dr. Katherine Schneider, honors an author or
illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child
and adolescent audiences. Three annual awards are presented for the best Teen, Middle School
and Children’s Book. The American Library Association administers the Awards, and each
recipient receives $5000 and a framed plaque. Winners are announced at the ALA Midwinter
Meeting.
List of Winners 2004-2013:
http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/1/all_years
Select Bibliography of Children’s Books about the Disability Experience. A longer list, compiled
by Patricia Steelman Schneider Family Book Award Committee and Senior Selection Librarian,
Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Revised: September, 2009
http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/sites/ala.org.awardsgrants/files/content/awardsrecords/sch
neideraward/2009_schneider_bio_children.pdf
Center for Disability Information & Referral (CeDIR), Indiana Institute on Disability and
Community at Indiana University, Bloomington, “Kids’ Corner,” includes booklists and more:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/cedir/kidsweb/default.html
Compiled by Sue Tichava for Sonoma County Museum
Librarian, NAMI Sonoma County
2013