BDAAC Newsletter September 2011

Visionaries and Voices

by LaVerne Thomas

If you want to express yourself, or display your creative genius from imagination to fruition, you can make it happen at Visionaries and Voices (V&V). This not-for-profit organization serves as a haven for local artists, and has received the support of the Ohio Arts Council, Artswave, and Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.

The mission of Visionaries and Voices is to provide artistic and cultural opportunities for artists with disabilities, and to build an inclusive environment where all artists feel valued. V&V values a world in which artists with disabilities not only create and share their works of art, but also are able to learn, work, collaborate, exhibit, teach, and celebrate with other community members. 

Nick Paddock, V&V Marketing Director, explains that the art work on sale at Visionaries and Voices is created by members of the community. These are people who are outside of the normally established standards of the art world. Some art created is put on t-shirts. The brand name for this is "Outsiders." These t-shirts can be purchased online at www.outsidershop.com.

V&V will celebrate 10 years of service to the community in 2012. One of their outreach missions is to provide art instruction to students within schools. They also provide a venue for local unknown artists' to showcase their talents. They support artist by providing a studio environment to work on projects. Everyone, even those with disabilities, are invited and welcome to participate. Artists are encouraged to come in and create paintings, drawings, sculpture, fashion, poetry, animation, and/or musical compositions. This is all made possible by the support of the V&V staff. They also host art exhibitions to showcase and sell the artists' creations the same way veteran artists would showcase their work.

Recently, V&V received the first place trophy for their float entry in this year's Northside parade. This notable accomplishment is a testament to their unique creative expression. During the last quarter of this year, they will host two themed receptions—in September, "Celebrity" will be the initial gathering, and "Holiday Wrap Up" is scheduled for December. Both receptions will be hosted at V&V's Northside Gallery at 3841 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45223.

For more information, visit V&V at www.visionariesandvoices.com , twitter.com/vandvcincinnati, Facebook, YouTube, or call them at (513) 861-4333. Opportunities to create are available Monday – Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.