Left: This artwork is by Tracey Morris a Peckham client artist.
Source:
artfrompeckham.com
By Deborah M. Walker
“Art from the Heart” is Peckham’s art program that allows people with disabilities a chance to break stereotypes and represent themselves through artistic expression.
Emily Chase, Art Program Developer at Peckham, said the art program gives the artist a voice and a chance at independence they otherwise might not have. Artists have complete control over their work which gives them a chance to make choices on their own.
“Maybe it’s somebody who doesn’t get to make a lot of decision on their own during the day. They may live in an assisted living home and they work here in a program that offers them a lot of support where they have a lot of structure. They can come to the art studio and get support in making decisions,” said Chase.
“If they want to paint a paper or cover every day they come in that’s their decision, I support them in that.”
The art program not only allows the artist the chance to make decision on their own it provides another means of communication for the artist. In the Peckham art program, there is no one telling the artist what to do or giving direction so the artist is free to express themselves.
In addition to offering freedom of expression, the Peckham art program builds community and brings together people who may otherwise have nothing in common.
“During classes it’s really great to see how this really diverse group of artist support each other and interact with each other. We have artist who come in who are 19 and some will come in who are 60 and it’s so great to see them working together,” said Chase.
According to Chase, the Peckham art program was started about 14 years ago through a mini-grant. Since then the art program at Peckham has grown to be an integral part of the culture at Peckham.
“You can tell by the space they gave it when they built this building that it is very important,” said Chase.
There is no cost to attend an art class at Peckham. Those who are interested in the program simply work with their case managers to figure out which class is best for them.
There are between 3 and 9 classes offered each week to those who are receiving services at Peckham. They provide all of the supplies; all an artist has to do is show up. Individuals interested in signing up for a class can stop in and check out the modernized art room located inside the Peckham main facility off N. Grand River Avenue at 3510 Capital City Boulevard in Lansing, MI. It is near the Lansing Capital Region International Airport.
“We have a really beautiful studio space with a lot of space…It’s everything you would want in an art studio,” said Chase.
She said the art program focuses more on the process than the outcome. According to Chase, the journey an artist undergoes to complete their artwork if meaningful and promotes independence.
“We don’t focus on the final product. A lot of times people, professional artists or people who are viewing, are very focused on the final product. Here we like to focus on the process,” said Chase.
Artists can see their work displayed in the art room at the Peckham main facility. There is also an art show every year at the Michigan State Federal Credit Union (MSFCU). Chase said MSFCU is very supportive of the program and they have been a great partner to have.
Artwork is also displayed at the Wharton Center during their art show and during the silent auctions. However, selling the artwork is not the main focus of the art show.
“The purpose is not to sell it but to help foster an artist in feeling proud of what they can do. It’s so cool to see them see their artwork on display,” said Chase.
Even though selling the artwork is not a main priority the artwork does sometimes gets sold once the okay is given by the artist or in some instances the artist’s legal guardian. Once the artwork is sold the artist receives 60 percent of the selling price while Peckham retains the other 40 percent to cover costs.
Chase said there are many instances of the artwork being sold. One example of this is from an artist who receives requests to paint animal portraits.
“We have a guy that does a great job painting dogs. People will come in and see his paintings and say hey if I give him a picture of my dog can he paint it and he will gladly do so. He probably gets at least 4 or 5 commissions like that a year,” said Chase.
For those who are looking to get involved with Peckham there are several ways to do so. The main criterion is there has to be some sort of employment challenge faced by the job seeker.
“They could be blind. They could have hearing issues. We have a large number of veterans that work for us… so anybody that has some kind of barrier to employment,” said Chase.
Individuals with disabilities can get involved with Peckham by filling out an online application on one of their job posting sites such as careerbuilder.com or by stopping in at the main facility located at 4110 North Grand River Ave. in Lansing informed Chase.
Job candidates can also go through Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) for an evaluation if there is a suspected disability. Community Mental Health also refers individuals to Peckham.
“What helps is if a person does have a disability and they have that documentation that says that they have it then the employment process happens much more quickly,” said Chase.
There are a couple of different ways the community can get involved with the Peckham art program. One way is to fill out a volunteer application at www.peckham.org. Another way is to stop by and visit an art show.
“It’s so cool when people who don’t know our artists come to the show because our artists feel like they get a lot of validation. So it’s really great to see community members come to the art show,” said Chase.
She said working with Peckham’s Art from the Heart program is an amazing opportunity. According to Chase Peckham also works with Michigan State University (MSU) Residential College and Arts & Humanities and she would like to see that continue.
“It’s really cool when you put your head together with another organization that has the same kind of mind set,” said Chase.
The art program at Peckham shows the public that anyone can be an artist regardless of their abilities or disabilities.
“People often don’t realize the potential and the skill level of people with disabilities,” said Chase.
“The art program, “Art from the Heart”, ties into Peckham’s overall mission which is to help people reach their full potential. Art is an important part of that. Art just isn’t one dimensional, a person has many different dimensions, and so art helps support people reaching their full potential.”
Log on to www.peckham.org to find out more information about the art program at Peckham or contact Emily Chase at 517-316-4192.
This article was printed in the January 11, 2015 – January 24, 2015 edition.
