Whether they were painting pastels, fashioning beads together or creating tools, Mercer County residents and the College’s most creative gathered together in the Education Building room 212 on Monday, April 7, to unfold their artwork.
Hosted by the College’s Students for Disability Awareness Club, all the work exhibited was created by individuals with disabilities in an effort to eradicate any negative stigmas associated with being disabled.
The art show displayed numerous different types of art, from paintings, to jewelry, to even tools.
While many artists create art to please the eye, other artists form art for a specific reason. Freshman undecided major Kristen Windram, for example, created a still-life in memory of her best friend who had passed away due to breast cancer. Windram said she had a love of art ever since she was little, and she was further inspired by her mom and high school art teacher.
Senior Mallika Desai, a member of the Career and Community Studies (CCS) program, also had a passion for art at a very young age. Desai revealed that she started painting her brilliant acrylic paintings in ’97. As a child, she enjoyed learning new techniques in art class and had always found painting so relaxing.
“Vincent Van Gogh and Monet are my inspiration,” she said.
Furthermore, Julia Sternlieb, a junior and also a member of the CCS program, bedazzled art-show goers with her collection of bracelets and necklaces. At age 13, she was searching for a new hobby and discovered it in a jewelry-making kit. On average, it takes her crafty hands about an hour to make one of her stylish bracelets.
The art show also featured a colorful drip art series created by the Arctists Collective by The Arc Mercer. This organization of Mercer County provides social, recreational and vocational opportunities to individuals with disabilities. The Drip Art Series was composed of both individual paintings and collaborative paintings.
Daniel Lapidow, a sophomore in the CCS program, discovered his interest to become a blacksmith at age seven on a visit to a farm. Two years later, at age nine, he had hammered and nailed his way up to being a member of the New Jersey Blacksmith Association. Today, Lapidow can be found in the Hebrew Hammer Blacksmith Shop in Lawrenceville making tools.
All in all, the art show was a very creative and flattering-to-the-eyes experience. Stay tuned to see what these crafty individuals have in store for next year’s Disability Art Awareness show.
