DRAW Space is delighted to present work by forty artists with disabilities in the exhibition Studio ARTES / A KIND OF MAGIC.
A riot of colour, creativity and individual expression is the only possible outcome of bringing together such a diverse range of artistic practices. The exhibition A KIND OF MAGIC, is a collaboration between Studio ARTES, an arts centre for adults with disabilities and DRAW Space gallery.
A KIND OF MAGIC will be the first public exhibition for some of the Studio ARTES artists, marking a milestone in their artistic careers. For others, it will be an opportunity to expand their practice, increase exposure, and share their work with family, friends and the broader public. Importantly, a collaboration between Studio ARTES and DRAW Space in the heart of the cultural hub of Newtown, provides Sydney’s wider art community access to a broader and more diverse range of artistic voices.
I would love people to appreciate my art and to get experiences from it, and just to enjoy it.
Georgina Evans (artist)
The exhibition will open on Thursday 29 February and run until Sunday 3 March. The opening is on 2 March from 12pm and is an opportunity to meet the artists and discuss their work.
Curated by Amelia Skelton, Belinda Yee and Rowan Yeomans.
Works from left:
Adrian Valiente, Morning Sunrise, 2023, watercolour on board, 29 x 21cm.
Charitha De Silva, Rocket Ice Cream 1, 2023, acrylic and oil pastel on board, 29 x 21cm.
Andrew Tabakovic, The Book that Broke, 2023, mixed media on board, 29 x 21cm.
Exhibition Essay
A Kind of Magic
A Kind of Magic brings together artworks made by the members of Studio ARTES Inner West, a not-for-profit organisation facilitating creative programs for people with disabilities.
At Studio ARTES we try our best to dissolve the hierarchy of students and teachers, instead aiming to create an environment where we can learn from one another. While my colleagues and I provide visual arts tutorials, it is the members who provide the magic. They teach us lessons without meaning to, by merely being themselves, a wonderful and not always simple thing to do. They also teach us many things about art making that were not taught in art school.
On Tuesday mornings, I am lucky enough to work with Mary. Mary or Sunshine Mary as she has been nicknamed, will often exclaim “I did it!” after each brush stroke that she completes with glee. I have noticed this in a lot of our artists, a pride and joy in their artwork that is not bogged down in self-doubt and criticism. This comes from the freedom of knowing art’s role, to express to the world what is within. It is something I am still learning, something that many great artists have struggled to learn, something that Mary knows.
Though all artists participating in A Kind of Magic were given the same materials to work with, the artworks on display vary across many art styles reflecting the diversity of the group. At the studio, we communicate in different ways and through art we have found a common language and a way to share our worlds with one another. Through Bridget Kelly’s colourful and playful artworks, we are invited to spend time in her joyous dreamscapes. Through Hamish Evans’ paintings, we can time travel to a world where Sonic the Hedgehog lives alongside Dorothy (of Oz) and Alice (of Wonderland). Each artist in the exhibition has brought creativity, authenticity and great skill to create the artworks being shared with you all.
Alongside our artists, we also have a wonderful and wide support network. Our hard-working staff, carers and supportive families make it possible for a wonderland like Studio ARTES to exist. We would also like to thank DRAW Space for giving us the chance to open up a wonderland to our wider Inner West community. We invite you to view, feel and enjoy A Kind of Magic.
© Lily Ehrlich, Visual Art Facilitator at Studio ARTES Inner West