Showcasing "Neurodiversity"
Artists with autism. . . and other disabilities are attracting mainstream attention.
On any given morning, some 20 artists are at work at Pure Vision Arts, a combination artist's studio and gallery space in New York's Chelsea District. Their art and that displayed on the walls reflect a cross section of contemporary style, from the architecturally precise images of Jessica Park to the Pop-like canvases of Susan Brown, which feature rows and rows of ice cream sodas.
What the artists here share is that they have developmental disabilities. . . Pure Vision, a nonprofit offshoot of The Shield Institute, which provides services to children and adults who are developmentally challenged, is the first New York gallery dealing exclusively with such artists. . . Pure Vision isn't about charity. With works ranging from $200 to $7,000, the gallery's 30 contracted artists receive 50 percent of the profits and are garnering mainstream attention...
Many of the artists have overcome hardships and long hospital stays. (William) Britt, now 69, taught himself to paint at the Willowbrook State Hospital. . . where he was institutionalized for more than 30 years. Victor Cristescu lived in Romania without special assistance until his sister brought him to the United States, when he was in his 30s. Now in his 40s, the nonverbal Critescu, who is developmentally disabled, draws only images of churches on paper, which is his primary form of communication and expression. . .
—Sarah Bayliss
The Leonard Lopate Show, WNYC Radio
"Overcoming
Troubles"
July 18, 2005
Pure Vision Arts director Dr. Pamala Rogers and Pure Vision Arts artist Leon McCutcheon talk with host Leonard Lopate about artists with developmental disabilities. Listen to "Overcoming Troubles" on the WNYC Web site.
Art & Antiques
"Healing 'Vision'"
May 2003
"Pure Vision is about serious art-making."