Rubbing shoulders with Picasso
Bona Vista’s Inclusive Art Show removes barriers through expression
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Bedazzled telephones. A gaggle of repurposed doll heads. Tapestries. Paper lanterns and masks. The gallery at Bona Vista at the Crossing is filled with a conflagration of color, a vivid flood of expression. But the work cannot be dismissed as mere craft. There is depth beneath the kaleidoscopic displays.
The Inclusive Art Show opened at the Crossing on Feb. 21, and it presents unequivocal evidence that the clients at Bona Vista have remarkable artistic talent. According to Annie Lightsey, Bona Vista’s director of education and enrichment, some of the works on display rival those produced by masters.
“When I first came to Bona Vista, I remember talking with a woman here who said she wanted her art to be displayed like Picasso, and she asked if we could do that,” said Lightsey. “That was when I first thought about the art show. Yeah, let's create an experience where people can come here and see your art on display. It was really empowering.”
Lightsey explained that the clients worked with collage, assemblage and mixed media in producing works for this show. The artists were exposed to unusual media, such as gold, silver, and copper leaf, gel media, and “high-end” art supplies that allowed them to experience new techniques and materials.
The results are often entertaining and deeply moving on occasion.
“You're going to encounter art that is fun and whimsical,” said Lightsey. “You're going to encounter art that has a deeper meaning behind it.”
Lightsey pointed to the “assemblage” guitars that were changed through decoration as an example. She explained that the artists attempted to capture the spirit of the civil rights movement through the character of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The pieces reflect the concepts of hope, peace, change, and love.
“But then you're also going to encounter fun, silly, ridiculous things, like our stupid Cupids and our assemblage telephones,” said Lightsey. “But even the telephones talk about our lines of connection, how we connect to ourselves, how we connect to one another, how we connect to the world around us.”
Lightsey explained that the artists were encouraged to engage through body, heart, and mind, expressing their skills while nurturing their emotional intelligence. The results are on display in the gallery, but they also surface in the artists’ lives.
“A lot of them tell their guardians or the people that they work with that art is their favorite part of their day,” said Lightsey. “I think it's because they find it so powerful to express themselves creatively.”
Indeed, the works on display are evidence that art is a great equalizer. Despite their developmental hurdles and challenges they face in daily life, when given the opportunity to express through art, the clients can stand alongside anyone as a peer or contemporary.
The art can’t be contained to just one gallery. Lightsey explained that Bona Vista has arranged for some of the work to be displayed at the Indianapolis International Airport as part of an all-abilities art show. Other pieces will be placed on display at the University of Indianapolis.
“We want to get this out of this building and out into the community, out in the state,” said Lightsey. “And our clients are becoming known throughout our region as people who are producing beautiful, creative, artful, expressive work, and I could not be prouder of them!”
Lightsey noted that the artists receive compensation for their work when it sells. Works produced by a single artist generate revenue for them, while group projects involving several artists have their revenue funneled back into the art program.
Those interested in promoting or supporting the art program at Bona Vista can do so by purchasing some of the works or by simply making a donation. Volunteer opportunities are always available, too.
“What it takes is for the community to embrace what we're doing and to come alongside and do it with us,” said Lightsey.
The Exhibition Art Show features the work of 60 different artists, and much of it is for sale, at least until the next show in May. The art will remain on display at The Crossing, 1221 S. Plate St. Those interested in visiting the art gallery can do so by setting up an appointment Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Call 765-454-5344 or email bvdevelopment@bonavista.org to arrange a tour.