By Amanda McLaughlin:
Covered in bright bubbles in color, the façade of Starlight Studio and Art Gallery building is a work of art in itself. Vibrant swathes of color were a welcome distraction as I stepped out into Buffalo's chilly winter grey air, and as I stopped to look more closely at the Ani Hoover designed façade--wonderfully out of place on Delaware Avenue--I soon realized that painting represented Starlight itself: a mix of the artistically refined and the unconventional. Founded in 2005 by the Learning Disabilities Association of Western New York and directed by Carrie Marcotte, Starlight Studio and Art Gallery believes in the transformative power of the arts; participants, who have varying mental or developmental disabilities, spend their days in the impressive studio, making art under the direction and guidance of visiting artists and volunteers. As the gallery says in its mission statement:
The gallery lives up to its mission. As I toured Starlight, I marveled at the sense of community in the space, with groups of artists sharing workspace and ideas. Each artist was friendly and eager to speak with me about their work and their experience at Starlight; all expressed a gratitude to the gallery for the opportunity to grow as artists, and confided that their experiences at Starlight have given them independence and confidence. As director Carrie Marcotte so astutely said: "Our artists gain confidence while working at Starlight: the confidence that you feel when you're expressing yourself creatively." While many artists told me that they had not dabbled in the arts before coming Starlight, the talent of the participants has been honed quickly, as evidenced by the incredible number and variety of works that line the gallery. Nearly every type of medium is available for the artists to work with, including painting, ceramics, mixed media sculpture, bookmaking, weaving, and workshops in poetry and songwriting occur often. The creativity and ingenuity of the artists was inspiring: Janet Harrison's print work recalls the serenity of Japanese prints coupled with intense color saturations. Dana Graap's pottery is inspired by images from various books and encyclopedia's.
The day I was at Starlight? A candy bowl inspired by Mikhail Gorbachev. Kimber Rodger's ceramic works burst with originality, color, and playfulness. Andrew Calderon, known as the poet AIC, says his inspiration comes largely from old-school hip-hop, and that his art seeks to inspire "creativity over negativity." He, along with other participants, hosted a fundraiser at the Manny Fried Playhouse on February 21 that sought to raise money for the development of a self-advocacy non-profit in Buffalo, and his poetry will appear alongside work by other Starlight poets in a book that will be published in late spring! In addition to those mentioned, I spoke with numerous artists during the course of my visit at Starlight, and was impressed by each artist's dedication to their craft, their originality, and their desire to educate others about their art.
Starlight's studio and gallery space was likewise impressive. The light, airy studio extends deeply, with the lower level providing administrative offices and other spaces, and the upper area providing numerous work stations, a working kiln and ceramics room, as well as private work rooms, and "quiet rooms," where artists can work in silence, either alone or with others. The gallery also houses a gift shop near the entrance, which sells original artistic works, as well as prints and reproductions of drawings and paintings. The day I visited, I was graciously given a packet of beautiful greeting cards, each with a different reproduction of a drawing done by a Starlight artist.
Starlight's current exhibition, which closes with a reception on March 4th, is the NYS Alliance for Art Education Arts-2-Together exhibit. More information on the gallery--including information on participation eligibility--and the exhibit can be found by calling at 716.842.1525, by emailing starlight@ldaofwny.org, or on Starlight's newly redesigned website starlightstudio.org, which has more images of artwork and artists, with individual artist biographies. Starlight Studio and Art Gallery is found at 340 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.
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Covered in bright bubbles in color, the façade of Starlight Studio and Art Gallery building is a work of art in itself. Vibrant swathes of color were a welcome distraction as I stepped out into Buffalo's chilly winter grey air, and as I stopped to look more closely at the Ani Hoover designed façade--wonderfully out of place on Delaware Avenue--I soon realized that painting represented Starlight itself: a mix of the artistically refined and the unconventional. Founded in 2005 by the Learning Disabilities Association of Western New York and directed by Carrie Marcotte, Starlight Studio and Art Gallery believes in the transformative power of the arts; participants, who have varying mental or developmental disabilities, spend their days in the impressive studio, making art under the direction and guidance of visiting artists and volunteers. As the gallery says in its mission statement:
"Our mission is provide an open art studio environment with individualized guidance, goal setting, technical assistance, demonstrations, and critiques for the cultivation of artistic expression with people who have disabilities. Through, but not limited to, art exhibitions, public presentations, community collaborations, participating artists will have the opportunity to work within the community to in turn enrich their own lives."
The gallery lives up to its mission. As I toured Starlight, I marveled at the sense of community in the space, with groups of artists sharing workspace and ideas. Each artist was friendly and eager to speak with me about their work and their experience at Starlight; all expressed a gratitude to the gallery for the opportunity to grow as artists, and confided that their experiences at Starlight have given them independence and confidence. As director Carrie Marcotte so astutely said: "Our artists gain confidence while working at Starlight: the confidence that you feel when you're expressing yourself creatively." While many artists told me that they had not dabbled in the arts before coming Starlight, the talent of the participants has been honed quickly, as evidenced by the incredible number and variety of works that line the gallery. Nearly every type of medium is available for the artists to work with, including painting, ceramics, mixed media sculpture, bookmaking, weaving, and workshops in poetry and songwriting occur often. The creativity and ingenuity of the artists was inspiring: Janet Harrison's print work recalls the serenity of Japanese prints coupled with intense color saturations. Dana Graap's pottery is inspired by images from various books and encyclopedia's.
The day I was at Starlight? A candy bowl inspired by Mikhail Gorbachev. Kimber Rodger's ceramic works burst with originality, color, and playfulness. Andrew Calderon, known as the poet AIC, says his inspiration comes largely from old-school hip-hop, and that his art seeks to inspire "creativity over negativity." He, along with other participants, hosted a fundraiser at the Manny Fried Playhouse on February 21 that sought to raise money for the development of a self-advocacy non-profit in Buffalo, and his poetry will appear alongside work by other Starlight poets in a book that will be published in late spring! In addition to those mentioned, I spoke with numerous artists during the course of my visit at Starlight, and was impressed by each artist's dedication to their craft, their originality, and their desire to educate others about their art.
Starlight's studio and gallery space was likewise impressive. The light, airy studio extends deeply, with the lower level providing administrative offices and other spaces, and the upper area providing numerous work stations, a working kiln and ceramics room, as well as private work rooms, and "quiet rooms," where artists can work in silence, either alone or with others. The gallery also houses a gift shop near the entrance, which sells original artistic works, as well as prints and reproductions of drawings and paintings. The day I visited, I was graciously given a packet of beautiful greeting cards, each with a different reproduction of a drawing done by a Starlight artist.
Starlight's current exhibition, which closes with a reception on March 4th, is the NYS Alliance for Art Education Arts-2-Together exhibit. More information on the gallery--including information on participation eligibility--and the exhibit can be found by calling at 716.842.1525, by emailing starlight@ldaofwny.org, or on Starlight's newly redesigned website starlightstudio.org, which has more images of artwork and artists, with individual artist biographies. Starlight Studio and Art Gallery is found at 340 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.
Great article, Amanda! I love Starlight, and I like what the vibrant, colorful facade adds to the streetscape. In fact, I was running this morning on Delaware, and felt a little energy boost as I ran past :-D