Local TV show spotlights artist, program
Michelle Strutzenberger
By participating in a local art tour event recently, people involved in the posAbilities art program had an exciting opportunity to give back to the community, says posAbilities staff member Simone.
The art program Alternatives joined about 300 artists in east Vancouver for a three-day open studio event, which attracts thousands of visitors.
“(This event) was a way for the art group that we work with to give to the community,” says Simone.
As with all the artists involved in the event, called the East Side Culture Crawl, the posAbilities art program group opened their doors to the public, showcased and sold their work.
Marty, one of the featured Alternatives artists, is passionate about both music and art.
He has attended at least 400 music concerts and most of his art features band members of classic rock groups.
“I colour pictures of t-shirts, of cars — all kinds of cars — and pictures of rock stars,” Marty tells posAbilities Today, noting his favourite rock star is Jim Morrison of The Doors.
Marty says he was very excited when a piece of his art featuring Morrison sold during the Culture Crawl.
Simone says she was deeply moved a few times as she saw how thrilled the posAbilities artists were to give visitors a tour of the studio and sell their work.
She notes it was especially thrilling for them when their families came to visit and observed them mingling with their artistic counterparts from the area and other community members.
A local television station picked up the story about posAbilities’ involvement in the celebrated Culture Crawl, and featured both the program and Marty.
He had a chance to speak about why he likes being an artist and about his love of music.
“It was a fantastic piece about him and then about the program,” she says, noting it was the involvement in the Culture Crawl that made it possible for Marty to have that limelight experience, something he has said he also enjoyed.
Simone says she believes the involvement in Culture Crawl highlights a crucial way to support people who have a disability to be included in the community and contribute.
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