The Fishers Arts Council’s annual March exhibit provides a space for people with disabilities to express themselves through art and share that work with the public.
The exhibit is among the City of Fishers’ Disability Awareness Month events, with a special Second Friday reception set for 6 to 9 p.m. March 8 at the Hub Gallery, 11810 Technology Dr.
FAC Executive Director Les Reinhardt said the nonprofit has worked with the city’s Advisory Council on Disability for about seven years to organize the annual exhibit, which highlights artists who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. She said offering this special exhibit can help those artists feel more comfortable submitting their work for other shows the FAC hosts throughout the year.
“There was one artist who joined us for the first time last year, and then he applied to be in our juried exhibit in September and got into the exhibit and then ended up winning the People’s Choice Award,” she said. “I feel sometimes these exhibits let artists know that this is a safe and welcoming environment, and it’s OK to share your art with us and then get the courage to participate more.”
Reinhardt said the FAC partners with organizations in the community to encourage artists with disabilities to submit their work.
“We will have artwork by Art Mix. We will have Outside the Box — they have a location now in Fishers outside of Indianapolis. And then we will also have Noble out of Noblesville — they’ll be bringing work in. And then also the exceptional learners program at Hamilton Southeastern High School,” she said, adding that Janus Developmental Services clients will submit artwork as well, in addition to nine individual artists who are not directly connected to an organization.
Limited space at the Hub Gallery means artwork also will be displayed at the Fishers Library’s Ignite Studio, 5 Municipal Drive. The exhibit will feature more than 80 pieces between the two spaces.
The March 8 reception is only at the Hub Gallery, though, and Reinhardt said there will be an American Sign Language interpreter for the presentation, featuring speaker Johnson Simon and musical guest Andy Schomburg.
For more, visit fishersartscouncil.org.
