The past year has challenged all of us in ways we have never experienced before. Disabled artists Jessica Vohs and Moriah Faith understand that the people hit hardest by isolation due to COVID-19 are those most at risk with disabilities, who have spent much of the past year confined to their homes. The goal of this project was to begin mending this disconnection through something that transcends language: paint!
Given by the socially distanced smiles, laughter, and chatting from the residents at the New England Village, it seems to have helped. Over 20 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities helped contribute to the mural in their unique way: pouring, rolling, brushing, and smearing paint onto the canvas. The resulting mural is a striking declaration that together, we can accomplish things much bigger than ourselves.
Moriah Faith
In partnership with artist Jessica Vohs, I have spent the summer creating a large mural celebrating individuals who deviate from the typical able-bodied “norms.” Our proposal was selected by the Brookline Arts Center, and we wanted to share the wealth–well, the paint wealth. We planned a trip out to Pembroke to visit the New England Village, which provides residence and programming for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We brought gallons of paint and a 15 foot canvas, encouraging day program participants to cover all of the white of the canvas. They exceeded all expectations and provided a beautiful first layer of paint for us to work off of. It is too often we think about artists working in solitude, confined to their studio, but the true power in art takes place when it transcends words and connects people from all walks of life. The exhibition Blooming is set to open in mid-September and on view through December at the Brookline Arts Center in Brookline, MA. We did an interview for the arts center, which you can check out below.
