Art is for everyone to create, including those who face the unique challenges of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The ArtsSmart Lower Gallery space at the Regional Arts Center exemplifies this idea with an exhibit called "Super Me!" It results from a collaborative program between the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council and Evergreen Life Services.
Dr. Becky Black, visual arts and community programs coordinator at TRAHC, was struck by how much the artists were engaged by the art program.
"I think they're great, very creative, and everybody who participated really seemed to enjoy themselves. They really got into it. You could tell they were loving what they were doing," Black said.
Evergreen Life Services provides support of various kinds to adults who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. It may be residential or non-residential support, said Black. There's an Evergreen location here in Texarkana.
"We got involved with them late last year. One of their staff members contacted me and asked if we could collaborate somehow," Black said. That began with tours and grew from there to making art with residents coming to Arts on Main towork in small groups.
"We had three groups this past month," Black said. They decided to adopt a theme of "Super Me" with the art created by 19 Evergreen clients. "Based on the idea if you were a superhero or had superpowers what would you be, who would you be, what would those powers be," she said. They worked with various mediums: watercolor, acrylics and oil pastels.
Tim Douglass, a program supervisor with Evergreen Life Services, explained that after a couple of successful art-making sessions, they built a partnership from there. They have plans for monthly visits to the TRAHC studio to make candles, sculptures and more.
"We're going to start a partnership with Evergreen to have their residents make objects for Evergreen to sell on their website to help support that nonprofit as well," Black said. Residents may also do some volunteer work at TRAHC.
For John Harbison, his art referenced Batman in all his crime-fighting glory. His superhero name is Justice John.
"I'm pretty good at drawing but I do my best at anything I can do," Harbison said.
Although he describes himself as a beginner, he learned to draw as a youngster, confident that he could do anything he wants to and draw anything he wants to. "I like to draw footballs," he said. "I can draw a football field right now if you all will let me." He'll draw someone's favorite team on the field (for him it's the University of Texas).
His Batman work is an oil pastel on paper, complete with the sky, water, the Twin Towers in New York City and Batman cruising along in his Batplane. He was inspired by Batman movies.
Carolina Allen's art charmingly captures her superhero alter-ego Creative Carolina in acrylic on paper. She's performing miracles on hair in this piece.
"When they asked Carolina what her superpowers would be she said she'd want to be a super hairdresser, and so we worked on drawing her combs and her scissors," Black said. They worked to get her super tools just right, and the primary color choices like red and yellow make the drawing pop.
"I do ponytails, braid hair, do wraps. I like to perm hair," Allen said.
The artists said they're looking forward to making more art. Look for Harbison to draw some sports cars. He's inspired by "The Fast and the Furious."
"We're excited to do more of these workshops with Evergreen," Black said.
Added Douglass, "We feel it releases a lot of behaviors and different things like that, and lets them express themselves in a way they might not be able to verbally." They plan to bring residents to the gallery to see their art hung in a gallery.
The exhibit runs through April 11.
(Admission is free. The Regional Arts Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 321 W. 4th St. in Texarkana, Texas. More info: TRAHC.org or 903-792-8681.)