11 Feb CATA AND HUDSON HALL present “EARTH PEOPLE” art exhibit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2020
Contact: Chris Watford
(413) 528-5485
Digital images available
CATA AND HUDSON HALL TO EXHIBIT PAINTINGS BY ARTISTS WITH DISABILITIES— “Earth People” features work by artists from Coarc using adaptive painting technique
HUDSON, NY— Community Access to the Arts (CATA) presents Earth People, an exhibit of paintings by artists with disabilities at Hudson Hall in Hudson, NY. The exhibit features work by eleven artists from Columbia County Arc (Coarc) who create their work through Community Access to the Arts programs using the adaptive Artistic Realization Technologies (A.R.T.) painting technique.
A free, public art opening will be held on Thursday, March 12 from 12pm-2pm with many of the artists in attendance.
The A.R.T. technique, which was developed by artist Tim Lefens, gives full artistic control to individuals with significant physical disabilities and expands the range of expressive possibilities for artists of all abilities. This exhibition showcases an extraordinary range of work created through this technique, from bold and exuberant abstract paintings, to meditative reflections on the world around us.
“We’re proud to partner with Hudson Hall to highlight this incredible work by CATA artists from Columbia County,” says CATA Executive Director Margaret Keller. “Artists at Coarc began participating in CATA’s adaptive painting workshops several years ago. Working one-on-one with Stefanie Weber, a CATA Faculty Artist and trained A.R.T. tracker, each artist has created profoundly expressive work. The energy and vibrancy of this work speaks for itself. We’re thrilled to share it with our community.”
“The A.R.T. technique has provided Coarc artists with the opportunity to express themselves with power and creativity,” says Coarc CEO Ken Stall. “The paintings are striking and a testament to how people can communicate through art. Every artist has a vision and a voice to share.”
“Hudson Hall is proud to exhibit the exquisite work of CATA artists,” says Sage Carter, Hudson Hall’s General Manager. “CATA’s A.R.T. program opens new possibilities for artists with physical challenges and the result is extraordinary. We encourage everyone to stop in to see these rare and exciting paintings.”
Earth People runs from March 12 through April 5 at Hudson Hall’s “West Room” at 327 Warren Street in Hudson, NY. The abstract paintings, each in acrylic on canvas, range widely in stylistic expression and scale of size. The exhibit runs in conjunction with a screening of the film Intelligent Lives (March 13) by Dan Habib, which documents the lives of young adults with intellectual disabilities, as well as a performance by the Camphill Players (April 3).
All works in the exhibit are professionally matted, framed, and available for sale, with proceeds supporting commissions for individual artists. Earth People is part of CATA’s “Art on Tour” program, where original works of art created by CATA artists travel throughout the year to museums, galleries, community centers, and other venues through Berkshire and Columbia counties.
CATA Art on Tour is funded by October Mountain Financial Advisors, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and other generous supporters. Earth People is presented in conjunction with Coarc in Columbia County, and is made possible in part with public funds from the Decentralization Program of the NYS Council of the Arts, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered in Columbia County by Greene County Council on the Arts dba CREATE Council for Resources to Enrich the Arts, Technology & Education.
About Community Access to the Arts: Community Access to the Arts (CATA) nurtures and celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities. Through dynamic arts workshops and public events, CATA artists tap into their potential, explore new talents, and share their unique points of view with the wider community. CATA collaborates with 50 partner organizations to bring visual and performing arts programs to 800 people with disabilities across Berkshire County, Massachusetts and Columbia County, New York. Learn more at CATAarts.org.
About Columbia County Arc: Coarc has been an advocate and resource in Columbia County for individuals who experience disabilities and their families since 1965. We provide comprehensive services to children and adults, both in the community and at more than 20 Coarc locations. Services range from employment programs, where our job coaches assist individuals to acquire and maintain interesting jobs in the local community, to residential services, where Coarc direct support professionals promote independence and support people with their daily in-the-home needs. Our comprehensive programs and services expand the abilities of pre-school students to seniors.
About Hudson Hall: Hudson Hall is a cultural beacon in the Hudson Valley, offering a dynamic year-round schedule of music, theater, dance, literature, workshops for youth and adults, as well as family programs and large-scale community events such as Winter Walk. Located in a historic landmark that houses New York State’s oldest surviving theater, Hudson Hall underwent a full restoration and reopened to the public in April 2017 for the first time in over 55 years. The newly restored Hudson Hall reflects Hudson’s rich history in a modern facility that welcomes residents and visitors from throughout our local community, across the nation, and around the globe. Programs at Hudson Hall are funded, in part, by New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
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