Ellen Kane in front of her creation, “Half Circle”, at the “Lane and Kane” exhibit.
Ellen Kane says her paintings represent her happy personality. She sometimes likes to use circles and other geometric shapes in her work. “I always want to do beautiful paintings,” she says. “I want to do something different every time. Sometimes I know what I want to do before I start painting. Some of my favorite shapes are triangles, rectangles, and squares. When I do digital art, I like to use cylinders and octagons.” Her work was showcased in a two-person show, “Lane and Kane” in Morristown, NJ, and has been exhibited at the Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ; Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ; Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ; and as part of the permanent collection at Johnson and Johnson headquarters in Cincinnati and New Brunswick, NJ.
Kane is one of 10 participating artists in the first Art Garden CSA, a Community Supported Arts Program that connects emerging artists with disabilities and local art collectors. Art Garden CSA was launched early this year by Matheny’s Arts Access Program and Arts Unbound with a Community Employment Grant from the Kessler Foundation. Through Art Garden CSA, the 10 participating artists with disabilities have each been given a $1,000 stipend and are required to create 25 pieces of art for the program. These can range from paintings, jewelry, small sculptures, wearable art, photography and more. The “community” is comprised of any individual or group that purchases one of the 25 available shares. They pay $500 for each share and, in return, receive 10 pieces of art – one from each artist. The buyers receive their art at two “pick-up” events during the year where they can meet the artists and establish relationships. Shares can be purchased through the Art Garden website at artgardencsa.org.
Arts Access empowers individuals with disabilities to create art without boundaries. Arts Unbound is dedicated to the artistic achievement of people living with disabilities and of seniors.
