Good Art for Good Works

by Margaret Cashill

With the burgeoning arts scene and tradition of good works in Kansas City, it seemed destined that the arts would intersect with health and social services. Two area not-for-profits, the Alzheimer’s Association – Heart of America Chapter and Accessible Arts, Inc., have used the
arts to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities. Both organizations plan to showcase the artistic output of their participants in events this month.

Memories in the Making

A program of the Heart of America Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Memories in the Making offers arts groups for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. “People with dementia have difficultly communicating,” observes Karen Clond, Memories in the Making art coordinator. “One of the goals of the program is to allow people with dementia to express themselves, be creative, and communicate.” Facilitated by trained staff and community volunteers, approximately 21 groups of five to eight participants meet on a weekly basis around the city, often in assisted living facilities. “They’ve become a club, almost like a quilting bee, where the focus is the art.” The participants’ paintings, primarily watercolors, will be auctioned on Friday, April 18th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hobbs Building in the West Bottoms
area. Clond describes the Memories in the Making Art Auction as “a way to share with the community and to elevate the artist.” With tickets at $100, proceeds will enable the continuation of services. “The art is so unique, every piece is different,” says Clond. “We find the jewels in the unexpected.”

Accessible Arts, Inc.

For children with developmental, learning and other disabilities,
Accessible Arts, Inc., a Wyandotte County-based not-for-profit, provides arts services including workshops and clubs in music, dance and the visual arts. Accessible Arts serves the student population of the Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB) and operates from its campus. In addition, the organization trains the teachers, artists and
paraprofessionals who work with the children. “We do all arts,” explains Martin English, executive director. “Visual,
music, drama, dance, you name it we have done it.” Accessible Arts began in 1980 as a state-sponsored service known as Arts with the Handicapped Program. In 1988, the organization was renamed and incorporated as a not-for-profit. In partnership with the KSSB Traditional Music Society, Accessible Arts will present “99 Drums!” the weekend of April 26. The two-day, overnight camp, designed for children from 9 to 15 years old, will feature workshops in the various arts of West African, Caribbean, Mexican and Native American cultures, and culminate with a public performance in the KSSB gymnasium at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 27th. While the performance is free, the fee to attend the camp ranges from $55 to $100, with scholarships available. “The camp is for children with and without disabilities,” says English. “That’s our philosophy as an agency. We try to include children with and without disabilities because both populations benefit from that interaction.”

English hopes that the recent excitement surrounding the arts will generate interest in programs like Accessible Arts. “With all the work on the performing arts center and the success of the Crossroads, there is energy right now.” Meanwhile, Clond also relates the success of Accessible Arts to the greater potential of art to enhance people’s lives. “I have always felt that Kansas City had a strong interest in the arts. It has to do with an appreciation for what art brings to the quality of life.” Though these organizations have been established for decades, both have proven to be ahead of their time. In this climate of patronage, their distinct programs are sure to thrive.

When & Where

Memories in the Making Art Auction takes place Friday, April 18th from 6 – 9 p.m. at the Hobbs Building, a creative space in the Bottoms in Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit www.alz.org/kansascity or call (913) 831-3888.

99 Drums! the public performance is scheduled for Sunday, April 27th at 2 p.m. on the KSSB campus in Kansas City, Kansas. To learn more about the event and the camp, visit www.accessiblearts.org or call (913) 281-1133.

 

Return to Ingram's Lifestyle