The Autism and Visual Art Project is a collaboration between the Frostic School of Art in the College of Fine Arts at Western Michigan University and KRESA (Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency). For a limited time, you can see the art in the 'All for One' exhibit on campus.
The project combines service learning and research focusing on how visual art made by people with autism contributes to understanding their own cognitive and communication skills. As part of the project, an undergraduate course at WMU, under the guidance of Professor Bill Davis, allowed students to engage in creating art and had the opportunity to work with students with autism.
“This course ties with my future career," said Jessica Parrish, Speech Pathology student. "The art made them conformable—it visually connected what they did with how they interacted with the people. It was a great experience and I am glad I could do it.”
Undergraduate students gained experience creating art with limitations by using various objects to impair certain senses or abilities, such as vaseline-smeared goggles to impair vision.
“My stamina was tested by working with blocked hearing in tunnel vision," said Emily Gadzinski, a Printmaking student. "My visual, spatial and muscle memory grew sharper.”
Other students commented that the insights gained were priceless, such as Art Education student Megan Ormerod.
The Autism and Visual Arts Project was originally initiated as a campaign to make art with adult students with developmental impairments and has since blossomed into a much larger multi-national service for, and study of, autism. The 'All for One' exhibit, a documentary film, presentations and lectures, conferences, interviews, grant funding, a university course, and workshop activity have all become part of this expanding collaborative mission to learn and grow as a community.
The 'All For One' exhibit will be featured in the Eleanor R. and Robert A. DeVries Student Art Gallery in the Richmond Center for Visual Arts on WMU's campus December 2-6.
To learn more, or for more information, please follow the link below.
All For One: Autism and Visual Art Production—wmich.edu/art
Pictured is WMU Undergraduate Co-Research Sarah Mueller discussing her work as a self-impaired studio artist.