By Barb Waisman

This summer, the Toby Shor JGallery co-hosts the delightful and inspiring exhibition entitled “Imagine Art: where every life is a work of art,” on display through August 18.  Imagine Art is a local nonprofit which serves any artist who is deaf, blind, has an intellectual/developmental disability, lives with mental illness, autism or has a physical disability. Non-disabled artists are also welcome to integrate into the Imagine Art program.

For over 26 years, this non-profit has provided a place for life transformation through art studios that offer creative space, materials and job readiness instruction, all at no cost to the artist. In 2016, some representatives of The Visual Arts League of the JGallery (VAL) researched if Austin had such an organization, and found Debbie Kizer, the dynamic founder of Imagine Art.

In 2017, a collaborative effort produced the first of JGallery’s exhibition with Imagine Art.  At the June 2 exhibition reception, Kizer described Imagine Art’s recent growth and its upcoming move this August to its Live+Make campus, offering 66 units of housing anchored by creative programming, empowering people with disabilities to live independently with support. 

Several of the artists spoke at the opening reception at the Dell JCC about their unique inspirations for their art, and of their appreciation of the Imagine Art leaders and community. John Molina, a middle-aged artist, started his presentation but suddenly stopped; he had decided he would slowly read it off a paper with the aid of an Imagine Art staff person. When finished, he proudly announced he could not read a word before he went to Imagine Art eight years ago. An obviously moved audience heartily applauded him.

Empowered artists like Molina have become the catalysts for changing existing systems of day habilitation, long term care, peer support and affordable housing. If there is evidence that everyone has a unique and valuable take on the world, it is on view at JGallery this summer.