05 Jul For Artists Unable to Use a Paintbrush, YOU Make Art Possible.
Your support reveals talents that might have remained hidden.
Katrina wears a laser on her head. David wears one on his hand. Cathy uses a ruler. With these tools and the aid of a trained “tracker”—a person who acts as the artist’s hands—each of these artists is able to create works of art through Artistic Realization Technologies (A.R.T.).
Developed by artist Tim Lefens, this innovative process gives full artistic control to people with significant physical disabilities who are not able to hold or manipulate a paintbrush. Since 2005, CATA has provided hundreds of A.R.T. workshops, allowing dozens of artists to transcend their physical limitations and reveal their creative spirits.
Through A.R.T., the artist controls every aspect of the creative process: the size and orientation of the canvas, the color and thickness of the paint, the tool and speed with which it’s applied to the canvas. Using a laser pointer or by plotting points with a ruler, the artist directs a tracker until their creative vision emerges.
photo: Katrina Couture (BFAIR) poses with her artwork at the Clark Art Institute
“I follow my imagination,” says CATA artist Katrina Couture. Each week, Katrina meets with her tracker Stefanie Weber at BFAIR in North Adams. Using a laser, Katrina shows Stefanie exactly how to place each brushstroke on the canvas. “Stefanie goes over here, over there. She runs around and chases the light, wherever I want to put it.”
It’s clear to Stefanie what these workshops have given to Katrina. “A.R.T. offers a way for artists like Katrina to communicate something that would otherwise go unsaid or unknown.”
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“CATA has given me my art.
I never knew I had this in me.”
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“Painting helps me get my emotions out on paper, rather than holding them inside,” says CATA artist Cathy Crofut. “I’m happy when I paint and I’m proud of my accomplishments.” Cathy’s work has been privately commissioned and displayed at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Berkshire Museum and Clark Art Institute. Last fall, she was awarded a prestigious Governor’s citation for a painting exhibited at the Massachusetts State House in Boston.
photo: Cathy Crofut (BCArc, right) has worked with her A.R.T. tracker Pat Hogan for over 12 years.
Because of your support, our community is able to experience the talents of these artists whose abilities might have otherwise remained hidden. For CATA artists like Carol Neuhaus, the impact has been profound. “CATA has given me my art,” she says. “I never knew I had this in me.”
As a program requiring one-on-one support, A.R.T. is one of CATA’s most expensive to deliver. We rely on generous contributions from our supporters to sustain this work. It’s because of your generosity that artists like Katrina, Cathy, David, and Carol are able to express their creative talents.