HeartShare to host art show in Bay Ridge

BAY RIDGE — HeartShare Human Services of New York has long worked with people with disabilities and now the organization is planning the Bay Ridge Day Hab Art Show, a new display of art by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The event will take place on Friday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at 347 74th Street. Artists in the Bay Ridge Day Habilitation Program will be sharing their individual and collaborative artwork with the public.

“I’ve worked as an artist-in-residence in different contexts, but the HeartShare experience has certainly been a unique one for me,” Interdisciplinary artist, writer and founder of Quail Bell magazine,” Christine Sloan Stoddard told this paper.

“It’s challenged my assumptions about ability, art-making, art education and studio practices in New York City. I’ve always preferred to embrace inclusive ideas about art-making, but my ideas have only broadened at HeartShare. HeartShare artists are innovative, expressive and largely uninhibited. The work individuals make during our weekly workshops is vibrant and distinctive. I’m not only impressed, but inspired,” she added.

Among the artists whose works will be on display are John Jacky Wojciechowski, who contributed an acrylic and pen painting; Charles Nutridge, who attends the Aiello art workshop in Bed-Stuy; and Stoddard herself, who is showing “Her Garden,”a watercolor and chalk pastel piece she created for the Bay Ridge workshop on expressive watercolors.

Stoddard also collaborated on works with Wojciechowski and Nutridge. Other collaborations include “Butterfly Net Undone,” a large-scale piece that multiple individuals from Bay Ridge Day Hab created using mosaic papers, tissue paper, origami paper, feathers, sequins, oil pastels, tempera and acrylic; “Goldfish Collaborative,” a painting created by 15 artists in Bay Ridge; and “Auction Salesforce Tower,” based on a photo selected by Stoddard.

“We will have one community art project taking place during the show and invite attendees to contribute,” added Stoddard. Artwork and snacks will be available for purchase at the show. 

HeartShare, headquartered at 12 MetroTech Center, provides housing, education and job-training programs for developmentally disabled and autistic people. Please RSVP: Stoddard.christine@gmail.com.