Oklahoma City -Last week, Paseo Art district showcased 13 artists with autism this past weekend at Rainbow Fleet with a yearly show called “Big Swanky Art Show.” The artists featured all came from Big Swanky Art Camp, a two week summer camp for all artists with autism. Works ranged from 23-year-old Michelle Cross’s vibrantly painted Flutter Shy from My Little Pony to 25-year-old David Blose’s vibrantly painted computer parts.
The event is supported by the Oklahoma Arts Council with help from Youth and Family Services of Canadian County, Autism Oklahoma, and a collection of creative entrepreneurs with autism called Bees Knees. In an interview conducted via e-mail executive director of Autism Oklahoma told NewsOK:
“The camp promotes creativity and using art to communicate.This art camp is not about kids with disabilities, it’s about celebrating the unique gifts of each artist. It’s about bringing these young adults together and showing them what they can do instead of what they can’t do.”
Dee Blose, David’s mother and executive director of Youth and Family Services, agrees. As she said in her interview with NewsOK:
“When you get them talking about something they love, then they just open up and they want to tell you all about it.”
To learn more please go to www.autismoklahoma.org andbeeskneesart.com
The original article by on the News OK website can be read here