Celebrating Matheny’s Arts Access Program

“I am so very proud of the work being done here. No arts program is more unique than Matheny’s.” With those words, Nicholas Paleologos, executive director of the New Jersey State Council of the Arts and honorary chair of Full Circle 2015: Perspectives, welcomed those who had come to see a stage presentation of dance, drama and creative writing at the annual celebration of Matheny’s Arts Access Program. The stage presentation was accompanied by a visual arts exhibition featuring the work of more than 50 Arts Access artists.

Members of the community were also treated to food and beverages donated by Café Azzurro and cocoLuxe Fine Pastries in Peapack; Gladstone Tavern in Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table in Basking Ridge; and Village Office Supply in Somerset. Gold sponsor of Full Circle was Mr. and Mrs. Man S. Yu; Bronze sponsors were John and Maureen Dreher, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence H. Durr, Eagle Electrical Contracting Service, Dr. and Mrs. Richard Goldrosen, Melissa Heller, and Stephanie A. Young.

“Zip A Dee Doo Dah”, a dance choreographed by Arts Access artist Dani Urso-King, was performed by Urso-King and professional dancer Patty Romano.

Nicholas Paleologos and Arts Access artist Natalia Manning.

Eileen Murray, director of the Arts Access Program, emphasized that, “Every artist expresses a unique viewpoint. Art,” adding that, “art can change our perspective, or give us a new one.” Edana Desatnick, co-chair of Matheny’s Board of Trustees and parent of a Matheny resident, thanked everyone in attendance for their support of Matheny and the Arts Access Program.             

Matheny’s  Arts Access Program has been awarded a Kessler Foundation Community Employment Grant of $100,000 to launch a unique vocational art project. Arts Access will partner with Arts Unbound, bringing together these two leaders in the realm of arts and disability to form Art Garden CSA. This CSA (community-supported art) project aims to connect artists with disabilities with art buyers in a way that has never before been attempted with this population.

Ten artists will be selected and commissioned to create original artwork that is unique to the Art Garden CSA. These works will then be distributed at three live pickup events around the state to anyone who buys one of the 25 available “shares”. At these pickup events, the shareholders will have the opportunity to meet the selected artists and see what awaits them in their box of limited edition art. The artists will work with the Art Garden team to learn and participate in important vocational practices such as blogging, thank you letters, self-promotion, relationship building, and many other entrepreneurial activities that are key to becoming a professional artist.

“We are so thankful to Kessler for supporting the Art Garden project,” said Eileen Murray, director of the Arts Access Program. “I’ve seen these artists work tirelessly to perfect their craft, and I’m so excited to see them move into careers as artistic professionals.” Margret Mikklesen, executive director of Arts Unbound, said, “With popularity spiking and community-supported art projects popping up all over the country, we are thrilled to launch Art Garden, which will be the first to exclusively represent artists with disabilities working within the state of New Jersey.”

A recent Kessler-led national study revealed that 68% of people with disabilities are striving to find work. Through its Community Employment Grant Program, Kessler Foundation funds non-traditional solutions that increase employment outcomes for citizens with disabilities. The arts fill this role by allowing individuals with disabilities to be self-employed and work on their own schedules. The Kessler Foundation is a public charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities.

Arts Access artist Jessica Evans with Peapack-Gladstone businessman Tim Peters, who purchased her painting.

Arts Access is a unique fine arts program where individuals with disabilities can fully express themselves in the creative arts. Arts Unbound is a studio and gallery in West Orange, NJ, dedicated to the creative expression of persons with disabilities. Both organizations have been at the forefront of offering professional development opportunities for artists with disabilities through licensing and original artwork sales. The Art Garden CSA will launch early next year, and shares will be available for purchase in November 2015.

Dr. Pyo, left, and Gary E. Eddey, MD, Matheny vice president and chief medical officer, at the awards dinner.

Daniel J. Pyo, MD, FACS, FACCWS, was honored by the 2015 New Jersey Smile Connection, the New Jersey chapter of Operation Smile, at its awards dinner, held October 16 at the Madison Hotel in Madison, NJ. Through his practice, Plastic Surgery Center of New Jersey, PC, in Morristown, NJ, Dr. Pyo has dedicated his life and career to helping people through cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He has performed 10 medical missions for Operation Smile, an international medical charity whose global network of thousands of credentialed medical volunteers from more than 80 countries has provided more than 220,000 free surgical procedures for children and young adults born with cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities.

He has also donated his services to help patients and students at  Matheny by performing skin grafts, oral surgeries and nasal revisions. According to Matheny nurse Catherine Losavio, Dr. Pyo is “a wonderful, caring man. He has a genuine interest in our patients and goes out of his way to give them excellent care that will achieve the best possible outcome.”

James Lane has been an Arts Access artist since the program’s inception in 1993. He is, says Haeree Park, Arts Access project and event coordinator, “a master of utilizing shapes in a mature manner. This defines his unique style. I always find myself drawn to his work.”

Lane will have three pieces on display as part of the visual arts exhibit curated by Park for Full Circle 2015 Perspectives, the annual celebration of Arts Access to be held from 3-6 p.m. in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center in Peapack, NJ,  on Saturday, November 7. There is an untitled acrylic on canvas and another entitled “Roller”. The third piece is a metal print called “Abstract”.

There is “only one word to describe James,” adds Arts Access director Eileen Murray. “That’s ‘deep’. He’s got these layers, and James is the only one who knows how deep they go. He knows exactly what he’s going for. To say he is a talented artist is an understatement.”

The visual arts exhibit at Full Circle will begin at 3 p.m. A stage presentation at 4 p.m., produced by Arts Access dance facilitator Heather Williams, will include 12 segments encompassing creative writing, dance, and drama created by Arts Access artists.

“Abstract” by James Lane

Nicholas Paleologos, executive director of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, will be honorary chair of the event. Food and beverage sponsors are: Café Azzurro, Peapack; Gladstone Tavern, Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table, Basking Ridge; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries, Peapack; and Village Office Supply, Somerset. Tickets to Full Circle are $40 and can be ordered online at events.matheny.org/FullCircle2015 or by calling 908 234-0011, ext. 260. All proceeds will benefit the Arts Access Program.

“This guy knows his stuff!” That was the reaction of Janet Gartleman of Long Valley, NJ, when she began cutting flowers for adult day patient T.J. Christian to put inside a pumpkin. Christian revealed that his gardening knowledge comes from years of listening to “The Garden Hotline”, a radio show that was hosted by the late Ralph Snodsmith on WOR 710AM for more than 30 years. It turns out that Gartleman listened to Snodsmith, too, so she and Christian immediately bonded.

The occasion was a visit by members of the Garden Club of Long Valley to help Matheny adults make Halloween decorations using flowers. The GCLV, established in 1970, exists to promote general interest in gardening and to encourage civic beautification. Odds are Christian may decide to become a member.

Janet Gartleman and T.J. Christian trade gardening tips during a visit to Matheny by the Garden Club of Long Valley.

Volunteers are needed at Matheny on weekdays, evenings, and weekends. Individuals can serve as recreation assistants, classroom aides, tutors, and friendly visitors. Volunteer groups, such as those from the Garden Club of Long Valley, are encouraged to host events or bring special projects.

Visual art, creative writing, dance, and drama will all be featured at Full Circle 2015 Perspectives, the annual celebration of Matheny’s Arts Access Program, to be held from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center on the Matheny campus in Peapack, NJ. Arts Access is a unique fine arts program enabling individuals with disabilities to fully express themselves in the creative arts.

A visual arts exhibit, curated by Haeree Park, Arts Access project and event coordinator, will be on display in the gallery, beginning at 3 p.m. It will include more than 50 pieces from nearly 40 artists. Park, who is also a freelance graphic designer, photographer and jewelry designer, emphasizes that, “Each artist has his or her own style, but there will be small groupings of similar styles.”

A stage presentation at 4 p.m., produced by Arts Access dance facilitator Heather Williams, will include 12 segments, encompassing creative writing, dance, and drama created by Arts Access artists. Actors from Premiere Stages, the professional equity theatre in residence at Kean University, will be part of the production, along with several professional dancers. Williams, who also teaches dance and performs with Dance Innovations, Inc. in Chatham, NJ, says being a facilitator at Arts Access, “has made me a better teacher outside of here. I have a new appreciation of the artistic process.”

Nicholas Paleologos, executive director of the New Jersey State Council of the Arts, will be honorary chair of Full Circle. Paleologos has served as NJSCA’s executive director since January 2012. Prior to that, he was executive director of the Massachusetts Film Office and founder and producing director of Boston’s Stuart Street Playhouse.

“Abstract”, a metal print by James Lane

Food and beverage sponsors are: Café Azzurro, Peapack; Gladstone Tavern, Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table, Basking Ridge; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries, Peapack; and Village Office Supply, Somerset. Tickets to Full Circle are $40 and can be ordered online at events.matheny.org/Fullcircle2015 or by calling (908) 234-0011, ext. 260. All proceeds will benefit the Arts Access Program.

Cindy Shanks has lived at Matheny for 25 years. Though she can’t speak or walk, she is able to express her feelings through her art. In the beginning, that was by painting, made possible by Shanks’ long-time participation in Matheny’s Arts Access Program, which enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators.

In addition to painting, Shanks now produces digital art, participates in the creative writing program, and is a dancer and choreographer. Dance, she says, communicating via a message board, “helps me express my feelings through movements of other people.”

At Full Circle 2015 Perspectives, the annual celebration of the Arts Access Program, to be held Saturday, November 7, in Matheny’s Robert Schonhorn Arts Center, the stage presentation will conclude with a dance number called “Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker. It was choreographed by Shanks and includes eight dancers, including herself. Some will be in wheelchairs, and some will be ambulatory. “It took Cindy more than a year to do this,” says dance facilitator Corey Bliss. “It was a fascinating process. We don’t have eight dancers on staff, so Cindy choreographed where everyone will be. It was incredible to watch her put it together.” “Cindy Shanks”, explains dance facilitator Heather Williams, “tried to completely re-choreograph The Nutcracker. She ventured into uncharted Arts Access territory. No one in the history of the choreography program has ever completed a piece with that many moving parts. Cindy has such a clear vision and acute understanding of the very complex Tchaikovsky score. Her piece is closing the show and is sure to be a beautiful finale.”

The stage presentation, produced by Williams, will include 12 segments, encompassing drama and creative writing in addition to dance. Actors from Premiere Stages, the professional equity theatre in residence at Kean University, will be part of the production, along with several professional dancers. Shanks will also have an untitled acrylic on canvas painting in Full Circle’s visual arts exhibit.

Full Circle will be held from 3-6 p.m. The visual arts exhibition, curated by Arts Access project and event coordinator Haeree Park, will begin in the Arts Center gallery at 3 p.m. That will be followed by the stage presentation, produced by dance facilitator Heather Williams.

Food and beverage sponsors are: Café Azzurro in Peapack; Gladstone Tavern in Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table, Basking Ridge; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries, Peapack; and Village Office Supply, Somerset. Tickets to Full Circle are $40 and can be ordered by phone at (908) 234-0011, ext. 260; by email at pcats@matheny.org; or by registering online at events.matheny.org/Fullcircle2015. All event proceeds will benefit the Arts Access program at Matheny.

Patrick Dizon visits with adult resident Rasheedah Mahali.

Volunteering at Matheny, says Patrick Dizon, is “just like hanging out with friends.” Dizon, a senior at West Morris Central High School in Chester, NJ, started volunteering in the fall of 2012. “I began helping out with recreation activities and made some good friends among the students and patients. We listen to music and watch TV together.” During the school year, Dizon volunteers once a week, but during this past summer he was at Matheny about three times weekly.

Dizon discovered Matheny because his mother knew about it, but he urges “people who don’t know about Matheny to ask about it and try volunteering. The staff is very friendly, and the schedule can be very flexible.”

Volunteers are needed at Matheny weekdays, evenings, and on weekends. Individuals can serve as recreation assistants, classroom aides, tutors, or just friendly visitors. For more information, call (908) 234-0011, ext. 282; or email volunteers@matheny.org.

At Full Circle 2015 Perspectives, the annual celebration of Matheny’s Arts Access Program, Dani Urso King will be performing in a dance she also choreographed. It’s called “Zip A Dee Doo Dah”, and she promises that, “It is like nothing you have ever seen before. It’s got a lot of zip to it.”

King, who will be 25 on October 20, was born with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, due to an accident at birth. She is non-verbal, but communicates via a Dynavox augmentative communications device. According to her mother Robin, Dani has always possessed “a can do attitude. She is a lightning bolt; nothing gets in her way, and she always finds new ways to shine. She really has no idea what the word disability means. She knows her body does not always work the way she would like, but that has never stopped her.”

Dani has always loved dance. “My favorite,” she says, “is The Nutcracker. I’ve seen it many times, and I love the Christmas Spectacular at Rockefeller Center because you can feel the music, and your body just moves.” When Dani was 14, she saw a performance by Kitty Lunn, a professional dancer who had become a paraplegic as the result of an accident. “She saw me in the audience, and, after her show, she brought me up and danced with me. I never thought I could do anything like dancing before that.”

Three years ago, Dani’s teacher at the Lakeview School in Edison, NJ, told her about Matheny’s Arts Access Program, which enables individuals with disabilities to fully express themselves in the creative arts. She looked the program up online, and, according to her mother, “She came home and told me she was going to Matheny.” Now, she says, “Thanks to Matheny, I can dance, create, and express myself through dance.” She is looking forward to Full Circle because “It is amazing to be part of something that has so many talented people with disabilities in it. We are all different, yet still part of a unique community that links us together. Shows like this make us the rule, not the exception we so often find ourselves in.” Dani also paints and will have three Munny doll designs as part of the Full Circle visual arts exhibit. (Munny dolls are small action figures with moveable joints).

Full Circle will be held from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center at Matheny. The visual arts exhibition, curated by Arts Access project and event coordinator Haeree Park will begin in the Arts Center gallery at 3 p.m. That will be followed by a multi-media stage presentation, produced by dance facilitator Heather Williams, that will feature original works in dance, drama, poetry, and creative writing.

Food and beverage sponsors are: Café Azzurro in Peapack; Gladstone Tavern in Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table in Basking Ridge; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries in Peapack; and Village Office Supply in Somerset. Tickets to Full Circle are $40 and can be ordered by phone at (908) 234-0011, ext. 260; by email at pcats@matheny.org; or by registering online at events.matheny.org/Fullcircle2015. All event proceeds will benefit the Arts Access Program at Matheny.

Adult resident Andy Lash, with, clockwise from lower left: his nephew Jack, sister Morgan Kane, brother Justin and sister-in-law Melissa, holding newest addition to the family, Sam.

Adult resident Amanda Kochell with her mother, Laura Lyttle.

The annual Matheny picnic is an occasion that brings families of students and patients and friends from the community together to visit with each other, enjoy a barbeque prepared by the Matheny culinary staff and savor the end of the summer season outdoors in a stress-free, spontaneous atmosphere. The weather on Saturday, September 12, was cloudy but mostly rain-free. The outdoor pool was open, and musical entertainment was provided by the singing of Geri Brewer, mother of adult resident Rasheedah Mahali;

From left, Larry Thornton, Cesar Guerra, and Kendell R. Sprott, MD, JD.

Cesar Guerra, owner of Cesar’s Corner Deli in Peapack-Gladstone, also owns a landscaping company. During this past summer he brought a crew of volunteer workers to Matheny to do some weeding and general gardening work in the courtyard outside the Center of Medicine and Dentistry.

Kendell R. Sprott, MD, JD, Matheny’s CEO, and Larry Thornton, a Matheny trustee, visited Cesar’s recently and presented Guerra with a plaque that gratefully recognized him for his “dedication and commitment to our children and adults with special needs. The volunteer service you have performed has greatly enhanced their quality of life. Thank you for your support!”

Each semester, Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ, conducts a day-long community service project for all incoming students. It’s called Community Plunge and offers students an opportunity to volunteer and learn the value of community service.

Stewart Lester of Middlesex, NJ, and Kayla Gonzalez of Secaucus, NJ, visit with Matheny student Shane Szott.

Vincent Picarelli of Roselle Park, NJ, helps Matheny student Jamil Jones compete in a ‘musical wheelchairs’ game.

On August 31, several Centenary students visited Matheny and participated in recreation activities that included wheelchair relay races, swimming, and a variety of competitive games and contests. Matheny’s Recreation Therapy program provides  students and patients with recreation opportunities and resources that improve their physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being.