FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today’s date: June 13, 2024
Contact: Chris Watford, Communications Director
chris@CATAarts.org (413) 528-5485
Images: Available here
CATA ANNUAL ART SHOW OPENS AT THE CLARK ART INSTITUTE AND THE LICHTENSTEIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS
The exhibit features more than 200 works by artists with disabilities from Community Access to the Arts
PITTSFIELD & WILLIAMSTOWN, MA—Community Access to the Arts (CATA) presents its annual art show, I Am a Part of Art, featuring a collection of 200 paintings, drawings, and sculptures by over 150 artists with disabilities. The exhibit takes place in partnership with the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA, and the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in Pittsfield, MA. Each work is available for sale, with artists earning a commission on each work sold.
CATA’s exhibit at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts runs from July 5 – August 20, 2024. A free exhibit celebration will be held on Thursday, July 11 from 4-6pm with many of the artists in attendance. Refreshments will be provided. The gallery, located at 28 Renne Avenue in Pittsfield’s Upstreet Cultural District, is open Wednesday through Friday from 11-3 and by appointment. Admission is free.
CATA’s exhibit at the Clark Art Institute’s Lunder Center at Stone Hill is open now through September 22, 2024. A free “Meet the Artists” and Community Art Making event will be held on Tuesday, August 20 from 1-3pm with CATA artists in attendance. Art supplies will be available for visitors to create their own work of art inspired by the exhibit. The Lunder Center, located at 227 South Street, Williamstown, MA, is open daily from 10am-5pm. Admission to CATA’s exhibit at the Lunder Center is free.
“I Am a Part of Art offers a window into the imagination of artists with disabilities,” says CATA Executive Director Margaret Keller. “This exhibit is the essence of CATA’s mission: Our artists have created stunning work all year long in CATA workshops. And now,community members have the opportunity to revel in these incredible paintings, drawings, and sculptures. All works are available for sale, and every sale provides a commission to the individual artist. You are sure to find a piece to fall in love with!”
This annual exhibition is the culmination of hundreds of visual arts workshops that CATA holds throughout the year for teens, adults, and elders with disabilities across Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and Columbia County, New York. Through these workshops, CATA artists grow creatively, learn new techniques, and build community. Works in the exhibit are professionally matted and framed, and available for sale, with proceeds providing commissions to the individual artists. The curated exhibit features a wide range of styles, including abstract and representational paintings, drawings, photographs, collage, sculpture, and printmaking, as well as comics, illustration, and stop-motion animation.
I Am a Part of Art is sponsored by Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation, October Mountain Financial Advisors, Berkshire Magazine, Frames on Wheels, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and other generous supporters.
This year marks CATA’s 30th anniversary. Founded in 1993 by dance therapist Sandy Newman and led by Margaret Keller since 2014, CATA has grown dramatically in recent years, with an innovative, community-based model rooted in strong partnerships with disability agencies, day-habilitation programs, residences, and schools. CATA works closely with partners, caregivers, families, and CATA artists to co-create arts programs that transform the lives of people with disabilities across our communities. CATA currently provides more than 2,200 arts workshops annually for children, teens, and adults with disabilities in painting, dance, acting, songwriting, drumming, creative writing, juggling, yoga, and more. These workshops offer people with disabilities powerful opportunities for individual growth, helping them achieve their fullest potential.
About Community Access to the Arts (CATA):
Community Access to the Arts is a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing and celebrating the creativity of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, brain injuries, and autism. CATA engages 1,000 people with disabilities across 16 towns and cities in Berkshire County, MA and Columbia County, NY. Through dynamic arts programs, CATA artists with disabilities are empowered to discover new talents and express their unique perspectives. CATA shares their vibrant work in public performances, art exhibits, and poetry readings–collaborating with major cultural institutions including the Clark Art Institute, The Mount, and Shakespeare & Company to shine a light on the remarkable creative abilities of people with disabilities. Learn more at cata-staging.mystagingwebsite.com/.
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SNOW UPDATE: CATA Studio Programs cancelled Monday 2/23
