Collaboration in the arts is always an exciting endeavor, and we are so proud to have been part of the Collaborative ARTS Exhibit at Rutgers NJMS for 11 years now! Once again, the artists from Arts Access and JSDD’s WAE Center brought their incredible talents together for another truly inspiring exhibition.
After the great success of last year’s exhibit, we are all excited for another virtual edition of this unique event. From July 16 – August 31, the exhibit was hosted again through an online gallery at exhibbit.com, which creates virtual spaces that viewers can “walk through” like they would an in-person gallery. Then, on August 16th, Arts Access and the WAE Center hosted a virtual artists reception via Zoom, which provided the opportunity to hear directly from the artists of both organizations as they shared their thoughts on art, the creative process, and showing their work in the annual Collaborative ARTS Exhibit.
The reception started with opening remarks from Eileen Murray, director of Arts Access, and Monica Schneider-Brewer, of the WAE Center. Together they gave a short summary of the 11-year history of this collaborative event, providing context about the exhibit. They recognized the passion and talent that all of the artists have for their work and how honored we are to help showcase that incredible work to the world.
After the introductions, the heart of the event got underway! The artists from both Arts Access and the WAE Center presented statements about their work, talking about their experiences as artists, what inspires them, and what their creative process is like. Approximately half of the artists featured in the exhibition were able to attend the event, along with many family members, friends, and fans!
Warping up the event was a brief Q&A session, which included questions from the audience and many congratulations to the artists. Most notably, several of the artists took advantage of the opportunity to ask each other questions about their work and processes, sharing info with each other about materials, tools, and techniques.
As Ellen Kane of Arts Access shared, “I love being able to collaborate with other artists to inspire and create my work. I am extremely excited to be a part of this exciting exhibit.”
Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, and a very special thank you to the incredible artists for sharing their talents with us and the rest of the world! To stay up to date on all the latest news and projects from the Arts Access artists, be sure to join our email list and follow us on social media.
(Though the exhibition officially ends 8/31, the gallery will be available to view HERE for a limited time)
About Rutgers NJMS
The nation’s best medical schools are known for providing the highest quality medical education, research, patient services, and community outreach. At Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, these priorities are combined with a commitment to constant innovation and progress as we keep our mission, vision, and values in mind.
About JSDD’s WAE Center
JSDD’s WAE Center is a holistic, creative and expressive arts learning center for people with disabilities, dedicated to “Finding the Spark Within”.
JSDD (Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled) is a multi-purpose agency dedicated to providing an integrated program of community education, advocacy, and services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. At JSDD the expectations for quality extend beyond what services and supports may be available to what life fulfilling experiences are possible. Our philosophy supports the notion that there are no limits to those possibilities.
The WAE Center Art Studio is a place where members are invited to explore creating fine art through painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, jewelry design, and digital art. Members work both independently and with the guidance and support of trained facilitator mentors in an environment that is founded on neutrality and inclusion.
Arts Access is grateful to the following organizations for their generous support of this event and other projects from Arts Access.
