Right now GraceArt is showing coast to coast: From Seattle (HeART of
the Spectrum) to the Massachusetts' Berkshires to solo in North
Carolina (The Artery Gallery, Greensboro, extended through May 9,) to down home here in Nashville. Both
the shows at the Good Purpose Gallery in Massachusetts and here at the
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center are the products of Debra Hosseini's The Art of
Autism.
California based, Hosseini is a mother, like me, of a
young adult with autism who is also an artist. She is the author of two
books in a series also entitled The Art of Autism. Grace is
featured in the 2012 edition. In both the aforementioned shows and other
shows nationwide, The Art of Autism brings together artists on the
spectrum across the world to showcase their
work.
Here, above, The Art of Autism has teamed with the
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, in Nashville, to feature several Southeast
regional artists with ASD. Grace's painting (is it another horse?) is
the purple tones on top. (The purple frame is a graphic design effect created by Vanderbilt for the flyer.)
Hosseini knows, as many of us parents of older youth do, that
entrepreneurship is a key path for many of our adults on the spectrum.
Stay tuned to "The Journey with Grace" as I and others envision ways to
collectively and locally integrate artists with disAbilities and those
without, in ways to create, show and sell their works. I'm currently
fleshing out the vision and looking for ways to grow its arms and legs. The
encouraging factor? No one has to reinvent the wheel. All over the
country, parents are getting smart to the fact that we must use our own
elbow grease and elevate the gifts of our differently abled offspring.
So
here's to the visionary mothers, such as Hosseini who carry torches for
their own offspring and light the way for others as well. Kudos, thanks & hats off girlfriends (and Dads, too).
GraceArt ongoing and in the works: GraceArt notecard series II is available in halfsets at Shimai Pottery & Gifts at the Loveless Cafe and target date, next week, at the Tennessee Art League on Nashville's 5th Avenue of the Arts (gallery row). Beginning May 15, for three months, she will have a solo show (new work and award winning), in the Polk Theater lobby of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, sponsored by VSA Tennessee. Also targeted for a couple of weeks will be art, also all for sale, at the new, acclaimed Perl Cafe & Market in Nashville's Bellevue region. Talks are underway for more shows as well. You'll find it all here and on Facebook at Grace Goad | Autism Art and (intended) GraceGoad.com.
