“Art is not a luxury. Art is central to what truly makes us human.”
In 1974, Jean Kennedy Smith, youngest sister of our nation’s 35th President and future U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, founded the National Committee—Arts for the Handicapped. The organization’s name was later changed to Very Special Arts (VSA) with an international network of affiliates…including one here in Indianapolis.
VSA Indiana is now an independent nonprofit known as ArtMix: Art Redefining Disability. ArtMix transforms the lives of people with disabilities through the creation of art, giving people the opportunity to create through hands-on experiences in the studio.
The need for such a welcoming creative community is real: According to most recent census data, 1 in 5 people in Central Indiana have some kind of physical or mental impairment that substantially impacts daily living. Misconceptions and assumptions about disability can contribute to feelings of exclusion and create a greater need for opportunities to have genuine connections with community.
“Often, people with disabilities are isolated and misunderstood,” said Jessi Klein, vice president of development. “ArtMix gives everyone the ability to be creative through art and truly transforms lives to function more independently, gain job skills, fine motor skills and work on communication skills.”
Participants express themselves through art in an inclusive space for people of all ages and abilities. With a full-time staff of four plus a team of 20 teaching artists, ArtMix provides both in-studio and external programs for more than 6,000 people annually. One of the organization’s key programs is Urban Artisans, a paid apprenticeship for young adults who are transitioning from school into the workplace. Through this program, which is currently delivered in a virtual format, participants learn valuable artistic, professional and social skills that are essential in the workplace.
Space is currently available in the Urban Artisans apprenticeship program. Interested participants can learn more and submit an application here.
Each year, ArtMix provides a robust summer curriculum, filled with ceramics, painting, music and drama. Due to COVID-19, the agency’s popular summer program is being delivered online during the months of July and August. Each week, a new schedule of community classes and videos will be uploaded to the organization’s YouTube, Instagram and Facebook channels for viewing, free of charge. No registration is required, and participants can follow along to create their own art projects from home.
“We are excited about our online programming, because it gives us the opportunity to reach artists who have not previously been able to attend our classes,” said newly appointed ArtMix President and CEO Brittany (Britt) Sutton. “This is an opportunity for us to grow and expand to the greater Indiana community while keeping our participants safe and creating in their own homes.”
ArtMix is funded through a combination of grants and gifts. Additionally, participants’ artwork is showcased and offered for sale through the ArtMix Gallery, with proceeds used to fund ongoing access to the arts for people with disabilities. If you’d like to purchase completed art projects, visit the ArtMix website or view the entire gallery at First Friday Gallery Tours at The Harrison Center.
Here’s how you can help:
- Donate to ArtMix to support ongoing art programs for the disabled in our community.
- Watch and share this summer’s online curriculum: Subscribe to the ArtMix channel on YouTube.
- Follow ArtMix on social media and promote the need for inclusion in the arts.