Arts Access at J&J IT

"Answering Machine” by Faith Stolz.

More than 50 works of art created by 20 Arts Access artists will be on display from June 6 through the end of October at the Johnson & Johnson Information Technology Building at 1003 Route 202 North in Raritan, NJ. An invitation-only opening reception will be held from 2-3 p.m. on June 6.

Artwork will be shown on all four floors of the building and will include paintings, digital art and sculptures. Matheny’s Arts Access Program enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators. All proceeds from artwork sales are split 50/50 with half the funds going directly to the artist and other half going to Matheny to cover the cost of art materials, stretching and framing of the work.

Untitled by Kevin White.

“The Reflecting Pool” by Cheryl Chapin.

For the second consecutive year, paintings and digital art by artists in Matheny’s Arts Access Program will be part of a special exhibit, “New Jersey Medical School – ARTS” in the Medical Science Building at UMDNJ in Newark.

An opening reception will be held from 2 p.m. -4 p.m. on Sunday, May 20. The exhibit will run through the end of August.

Nine Arts Access artists will be featured. In addition, artwork from three Arts Access satellite programs – the WAE Center of JSDD (Jewish Services for the Developmentally Disabled of Metrowest, Inc.) in West Orange, NJ; the Arc of Mercer County in Trenton, NJ; and Hattie Larlham in Twinsburg, Ohio – will be on display as well.

Arts Access enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators. All artwork is for sale, with half the proceeds going directly to the individual artist and the other half going to Matheny to cover the cost of art materials, stretching and framing of the work.

For more information on the UMDNJ exhibit, contact Eileen Murray at (908) 234-0011, ext. 442, or email her at Eileen@artsaccessprogram.org.

Untitled by Cindy Shanks.

From left, Elizabeth Revels, visiting from Alabama; Katie Jackette, of Warren, NJ; and ZEBU arts coordinator Danielle Merzatta, in front of an untitled painting by James Lane.

“The walls are so stark without art,” explained Bill Oliver, owner of ZEBU Forno, a restaurant/café in Morristown, NJ, “and this art is fantastic.”

Oliver was talking with guests at the opening reception, held Sunday, April 1, at ZEBU for “Lane & Kane,” a special exhibition of art by James Lane and Ellen Kane, both artists in Matheny’s Arts Access Program.

Lane and Kane were present at the opening of the exhibition, which will be up for the entire month of April. Both are abstract artists with distinctive styles that have developed and matured through the years.

Arts Access enables artists with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators. Through the unique Arts Access methodology, they and many other artists are able to pursue their creative passions, no longer feeling defined by their disabilities but rather defining themselves by their achievements.

Ellen Kane in front of her painting, “Half Circle.”

"Half Circle" by Ellen Kane.

Two artists in Matheny’s Arts Access Program will be featured in a special exhibition, “Lane & Kane,” which will open April 1 at the ZEBU Forno Restaurant/Café in Morristown, NJ.

The abstract artists, James Lane and Ellen Kane, both have distinct signature styles that have developed over the years. Through the unique Arts Access methodology, artists like Lane and Kane are able to pursue their creative passions, no longer feeling defined by their disabilities but rather defining themselves by their achievements.

An opening reception will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, April 1. ZEBU Forno is located at 9 South St. in Morristown.

Untitled by James Lane.

Arts Access artist Michael Young. At right is his painting, “Motorcycle Shop.”

“Pure Expression,” an exhibition of paintings by artists in Matheny’s Arts Access Program, opened Sunday, Feb. 12, with a reception at the Monmouth Museum in Lincroft, NJ. The exhibit runs through March 18. We hope you stop by to see our artists’ wonderful artwork.

Arts Access enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators. Through the use of specialized communication and choice systems, the artists can follow their creative passions, building on their instincts and inner strengths. Through this ability to create fine art, the artists, many of whom are non-verbal, are able to distinguish themselves through their achievements rather than being defined by their disabilities.

In addition to painting, the Arts Access Program includes digital art, dance and choreography, sculpture, writing and drama.

The Monmouth Museum is a private, non-profit organization located at 765 Newman Springs Road in Lincroft on the campus of Brookdale Community College. Admission is $7; for hours and additional information, call (732) 747-2266 or log onto www.monmouthmuseum.org.

Coni Lefferts of Keyport, NJ, in front of “Randy and His Wife Stephanie” by Mark Riddle.

Arts Access facilitation manager Keith Garletts shows off his mask.

When you come to our Fat Tuesday Fundraiser to benefit Matheny next week, we hope you walk away with a new mask.

Hosted by the Verve Bistro Bar Lounge, the Mardi Gras-Carnivale Party features a mask auction—a key component of the fundraising activities made possible by members of Matheny’s Arts Access staff.  In Arts Access, people with disabilities are able to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators.  The Mardi Gras event is an opportunity for the facilitators to tap their own creative juices to benefit Matheny.

On February 21, 10% of all proceeds will be donated to Matheny, and anyone making a reservation on February 17 or 18 and mentioning Matheny will automatically redirect 10% of the bill to Matheny as well.

Verve is located at 18 East Main St. in Somerville. To make reservations for the Mardi Gras celebration, call 908 707-8655 and mention Matheny.

Studio coordinator Andrew Edge behind his mask.

“Pure Expression,” an exhibition opening February 12 at the Monmouth Museum in Lincroft, NJ, will feature paintings by artists in Matheny’s Arts Access Program.  Arts Access enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators.

Through the use of specialized communication and choice systems, the artists are able to follow their creative passions and are encouraged to build upon their instincts and inner strengths. The ability to create fine art lets the artists define themselves by their achievements rather than by their disabilities. In addition to painting, the Arts Access Program encompasses digital art, sculpture, drama, writing, dance and choreography.

The Monmouth Museum is a private, non-profit organization located at 765 Newman Springs Road in Lincroft on the campus of Brookdale Community College. Admission is $7. The exhibit will begin with a reception, free and open to the public, from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, February 12. It will run through March 18.

For hours and additional information, call (732) 747-2266 or visit www.monmouthmuseum.org.

Above, “Wisdom,” by Annie Paloff.

Below, “Beautiful Squares,” by Amy Ring.

Anthony Galati is a Morristown-based artist who discovered Matheny through a friend who works as a facilitator in the Arts Access Program. He decided to paint a mural in one of the elementary classrooms of the Matheny School and started the project in June 2010. “I came in to paint it on weekends, when the kids weren’t in the classroom,” he says. “It took 116 hours.”

The painting, which has a rainforest theme, was completed in September 2011. The rainforest idea, he says, “seemed like a universal thing that most of the kids would get excited about. I thought it could also be used as a teaching tool. I researched the rainforest and made sure that all of the animals that I chose for the mural are found in the rainforest. Also, each of the plants is a rainforest climbing plant that actually grows on trees the way I painted it. As I was aware of the visual challenges faced by some of the children, I used a lot of contrast to make the image as clear as possible for them.”

Although Galati describes himself as “predominantly a realist,” he admits to being “increasingly attracted to the mysterious. I don’t believe there is a need to see one kind of expression as any more valid that another. They are all different languages that the artist is using to convey something; whether realism or abstract, it’s all art.”

Drawn to the idea of utilizing art as a method of healing, Galati also believes that “few things are as good at relieving stress and putting you back in touch with yourself as making some form of art. You never know how something you create may positively impact the lives of others.”

Anthony Galati’s website: www.thelanguageofpigment.com

Full Circle 2011 Dimensions, the annual celebration of the Matheny’s Arts Access Program, highlighted the many dimensions of the program’s artists. “They may be painters,” noted Eileen Murray, the program’s director. “They may be playwrights; they may be dancers or choreographers. Arts Access gives them the opportunity to sample all that and to find their passion.”

Arts Access enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators. At Full Circle 2011, held Saturday, November 5, 42 pieces of visual art were exhibited during a reception in the gallery. In addition, a stage presentation  showcased dance, drama and poetry. Professional dancers and actors, and some Arts Access staff members, performed with the Arts Access artists.

During the gallery reception, food tasting stations were donated by Ciao, Basking Ridge; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries, Peapack; Due Terre Enoteca, Bernardsville; Gladstone Tavern, Gladstone; 3 West Restaurant, Basking Ridge; and Village Office Supply, Somerset.

Speaking to a packed theater prior to the stage presentation, Steve Proctor, Matheny president, pointed out that Matheny patients often have great difficulty communicating, but, “Arts Access provides them with an opportunity for creative expression.” It reflects, he added, Matheny’s efforts, “to enrich their entire lives, to provide them with a full spectrum of life experiences.”

Pamela Cembrook, a resident of Bernardsville and Matheny trustee, was honorary chair of the event. Artist Dan Fenelon was curator of the visual arts exhibit.

Above, actress Alexandra Hellquist reads “My Pakistani Princess,” written by Mike Cornely, right.

Below, “Group Home” by Ellen Kane.

When Eileen Murray joined Matheny Medical Center’s Arts Access Staff in 2001, one of her first jobs was to design the invitation for the first Full Circle event. This year, her first as the Director of Arts Access, marks her 11th Full Circle event, which has become an annual celebration of the program.

Murray, shown here working with Arts Access artist T.J. Christian, became Director in August 2011. She describes Full Circle as, “a culmination and celebration of the work that has been done by the Arts Access artists. Some of it’s new; some of it is work that just hasn’t been shown previously. The main goal, though, is to showcase the artists and their work.”

The title of Full Circle 2011 is “Dimensions,” which, Murray says, is meant to represent, “the different dimensions of each of the artists. They may be painters; they may be playwrights; they may be dancers or choreographers. Arts Access gives them the opportunity to sample all that and to find their one passion or several different passions. The work that’s performed and exhibited is a reflection of the multi-faceted dimensions of the program.”

Full Circle 2011 will be held Saturday, November 5, in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center on the Matheny campus. It will consist of a reception for visual art, from 3-4 p.m., followed by a stage presentation featuring dance, drama and poetry and concluding with another hour devoted to showcasing the visual art. “We hire professional actors and dancers to perform the work as our artists direct,” Murray explains. “The goal is to present the work in the most professional manner true to the artist’s vision.”

To register for the Full Circle show, log onto www.matheny.org and click on Full Circle Dimensions under What’s New or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260.