Got a start on your holiday shopping yet? We’ve got lots of fun options for you! In the process, we are excited to be engaged in promoting some fabulous independent films that shine the spotlight on autism/disAbility. Here’s the details ordered by date.

Mon., October 26, 9-10:30 PM, *ET/PT*
HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO, premieres on HBO. This two-woman director/producer team showed their compassionate film featuring youth and adults with autism in Columbus, Ohio, navigating their way into the confusing, bigger world. The social skills intervention, a group led by a clever, compassionate psychologist, grooms the film’s subjects in social interaction by preparing for and staging a dance. It’s funny, touching, and spot on.  I reviewed the film after its first of two showings at the Nashville Film Festival last April. I agree with blogger dad Stuart Duncan, who, in his review of the documentary, wrote:

“If I could make every person on Earth who has no prior experience with autism sit down and watch any one movie to understand what my own life with autism has been like, ‪#‎HowToDanceInOhio‬ would be that film.

Here’s the HBO schedule of show times:
OCT. 26 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
Oct. 26 (4:50 a.m.), 29 (8:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m.) and 31 (12:15 p.m.); Nov. 3 (noon) and 8 (5:40 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Oct. 28 (8:00 p.m.) and Nov. 10 (8:00 a.m.), 12 (11:45 p.m.) and 15 (9:20 a.m.)
The documentary will also be available on HBO NOW and HBO GO.

Sat., Oct. 24, 10-4, University School of Nashville
POPclectic will feature about 20 local artisans, including those gifted in making extraordinary edible homemade fare, as a part of Artclectic, the long-running, popular, national juried artist showcase-fundraiser for the innovative University School of Nashville. We are THRILLED that Grace Goad | Autism Art is a chosen artisan for POPclectic. The printed coaster-sized Art Tiles, featuring Grace’s new Sumi-E ink wash paintings, shown above, will debut at the event. She will also have her popular card lines available as well as some smaller, unframed originals. All items at POPclectic are under $75. Grace’s prices start at $10 for NoteCards.Sat., Nov. 7, 6 PM, Goodwill Career Solutions Center
Sprout Film Festival makes it’s fourth annual appearance in Nashville again in early November. Hosted by The Arc of Davidson County and The Arc of Williamson County, this unique evening, which includes edibles and a silent auction—Grace Goad will have a contribution, as in most years—features short films by and/or concerning, people with disabilities.  Sprout, a private, non-profit organization, founded in 1979, offers innovative programming related to the field of developmental disabilities. The touring film festival is “Making the Invisible Visible.” Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit scholarships to college and post-secondary programs for people with disAbilities.

Fri., Nov. 20, 6:30 PM, Watkins School of Art, Design & Film*
MIMI AND DONA. While I agree with Stuart Duncan that HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO is a near-perfect composite picture of autism life for the general viewer, MIMI AND DONA documents the cold, hard truth faced by caregivers, nationwide, as they age alongside, often unaided, with their loved ones with autism and disAbility. Set in Dallas, with a somewhat surprising twist of multiple generations of autism, Mimi is 92, widowed, and still caring for Dona, 64, who has intellectual disAbilties and undiagnosed autism. This female-produced documentary, is anything but a feel-good flick. But, if I had to choose a film that I wish all of my neighbors, family, community, and most of all, my legislators, could see, this would be it. Families of adult special needs sons and daughters are in crisis. Unfortunately, it is too much of the norm, and also what looks to be our own trajectory.

This free event, with free parking on the Watkins campus lot, is brought to our community by NPT Indie Lens Pop-up in partnership with The Arc of Tennessee. A panel discussion will follow the film. NPT is our local public television station, who, in partnership with Indie Lens Pop-up, shows free documentary films throughout the year. *Check your local PBS station to learn if there are Indie Lens Pop-up events near you. Indie Lens Pop-up films eventually air on PBS.

Sun., Nov. 22, TBA, Nashville CANCELLED
Open House, Bellevue. We’re still in the planning stages of this wee bit tentative pop-up, akin to the one like the one I hosted last year. Right now, we’re featuring Grace Goad | Autism Art and Stella and Dot by Kathy Chaney with more in the works.

Sat., Dec. 5, 2 PM, Downtown Nashville Public Library
AUTISM IN LOVE, a tender, bittersweet film, honestly captures the ups and downs, heartaches, and frustrations of higher functioning adults venturing into romantic partnership territory. It joins HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO and MIMI AND DONA as an important film for the community-at-large. There is an interesting side note that Lindsey Nebeker, one of the individuals portrayed, lived in Nashville and met her partner, David Hamrick, at the Autism Society of America conference when it was held in Nashville in 2005.

AUTISM IN LOVE, like MIMI and DONA, is a NPT Indie Lens Pop-up event in but in partnership with Autism Tennessee. A panel discussion will also follow the film. Again, check your local PBS station to learn if there are Indie Lens Pop-up events near you. All of the Indie Lens Pop-up films also eventually air on PBS. NPT will air AUTISM IN LOVE on Mon., Nov. 23, 9:30 PM.

T/T Dec. 8 & 10, 4-8 PM Flash and Trash and a little bit of Sass, Belle Meade
While this is our first pop-up with independent women’s clothing store (Shabby Lane, Nolensville,) owner Ramona Witzgall, it is not our first time to shop her fun-fun pop-up events. Ramona is the definition of fun. We are excited to join (and shop) with her alongside Stella and Dot by Kathy Chaney. The clothing is fun and affordable, the beautiful Stella and Dot jewelry lines polish them off, and Grace Goad | Autism Art will adorn your home and stuff your stationery drawer and your Christmas stockings.

There’s also a small private pop up, not mentioned above, at Grace’s Metro Schools’ Community Based Transition Program. Her classmates will get in on the act for a day of selling her original art and merchandise at their home base work site. A majority of Grace’s card packages have been assembled by her classmates from last and this year. We still don’t have the new website launched. It’s been designed and uploading the images with all the gazillion nips and tucks. But here’s plenty of chances to shop in Nashville and we can accommodate orders by phone or what you seen on her current site or on her Facebook page, Grace Goad | Autism Art.