by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
The artistic visions of many individuals will come together, collectively, in the form of a large mural after a series of workshops this summer for the “Disability Mural Project.”
During the workshops, people with disabilities or who have a close connection to someone with disabilities (family, friends, co-workers or others) will create art on 12-inch-square Masonite tiles. The artistic media can include drawing, painting or decoupage.
The workshops are all part of a community-arts project that will explore the question, “What does access to the arts mean to you?” It is funded with a grant from the Arts Access program, administered by the Minnesota State Arts Board.
The completed tiles will be assembled into a mural to be displayed at the Paramount Visual Arts Center through the month of October. Then the mural will be displayed in Minneapolis, and possibly then in Berkeley, Calif. where the first Disability Mural Project started.
To sign up for a workshop, call Sheri Pfau of Sartell at 320-230-9412.
Pfau is one of the workshop instructors and will help assemble the mural.
“People don’t have to be an artist to come to these workshops,” Pfau said. “We will help them create their own tiles. They can bring in photos, photocopies of art works, pictures from magazines or anything they like. We will help them transfer their images to the tiles. What we want is for everyone who comes to the workshops to have a good time.”
Pfau also noted close friends, family or caretakers can accompany disabled participants to the workshops.
The following is a list of the workshops: June 22, July 16 and 27 at Independent Lifestyles in Sauk Rapids; July 27: Paramount Visual Arts Center in downtown St. Cloud; Aug. 9: Independent Lifestyles; Aug. 14: Paramount Visual Arts Center; and Aug. 18: Independent Lifestyles.
People can find out the exact meeting times for each workshop when they call to register.
