S otheby's Impact is pleased to present Art Without Boundaries, our second selling exhibition in partnership with the Arts Access Program at Matheny special hospital and special education school in New Jersey. Matheny's mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities. This carefully curated exhibition highlights the work of five Arts Access artists: Jessica Evans, Karen Frascella, Bari Kim Goldrosen, Tammy Heppner, and Paul Santo. These artists create dynamic works not only through painting, but across multiple mediums including poetry, playwriting, choreography, and more. Featuring an array of dynamic visual art, this exhibition presents a glimpse into the minds of these multi-talented artists.
All original artworks are also available in print format. 50% of proceeds benefit the artists directly and 50% supports the Arts Access program.
Exhibition is free and open to the public Friday March 29 – Sunday April 7, 2024. Hours are Monday – Saturday 10AM – 5PM and Sunday 1PM – 5PM.
Jessica Evans is a remarkable woman whose passion for the arts is evident through her ever-developing portfolio of work. She explores her creative vision through numerous mediums, including painting, writing, and dance. Jessica will often cross the lines between mediums to execute multidisciplinary works. She has literally performed a dance on a painting to create a visual work, and has used the power of words in her work to offer deeper insight into her art. Jessica’s art is an unfiltered expression of self with a wide range in themes and ideas. Whether her work is warm and hopeful, fun and wacky, caring and compassionate, or thoughtful and expressionistic, it is always genuine. Jessica is an artist who demonstrates great dedication to her vision and continues to move forward with her art, taking every opportunity to create new works in writing, dance or painting.
Bari Kim Goldrosen is a vibrant and imaginative visual artist whose sense of humor shines through in her work. In the studio, she will often be found mixing her own unique paint colors and experimenting with unexpected tools such as rollers, spatulas, and even egg beaters to achieve her vision. Painting is a personal and pensive process for Bari Kim. She is an artist who knows exactly what she wants, but will direct the creation of her artworks without always sharing what her goals are, only for the harmony she is working toward to be revealed at the end. Bari Kim’s paintings are bursting with bright color and linear forms, but what is especially amusing is the piece of her personality and wit that is revealed in the titles that pay homage to her love of music, movies, and friends.
Tammy Heppner is a versatile artist who expresses herself in a multitude of mediums. She is especially drawn to writing and painting, and her process often involves merging the two to create multidisciplinary works. Tammy has a distinctive method of painting, creating a title before she begins creating the artwork. The titles, which are often long enough to constitute as complete written works themselves, determine what canvas, shapes, colors, and techniques she employs. Many of Tammy’s paintings tow the line between figuration and abstraction, with the title guiding the viewer to see the story she is looking to portray. Tammy creates from the heart, and together, her union of writing and visual art offer a glimpse into her life and love of family, friends, nature, and faith.
Paul is a dedicated artist whose creativity knows no bounds. Whether he is painting in the studio or writing a play, poem, or song, Paul’s imagination takes the lead. His affable personality shines through in all of his creations, and themes among his work often include his family, country music, and his favorite color, red. Paul explores a plethora of painting styles, and he is always open to trying something new. Paul dreams big, and enjoys sharing his work with others just as much as he loves creating it.
Karen Frascella is an enthusiastic artist and dancer who thrives on the engagement she generates when putting her imagination to work. Her approach to painting is always filled with curiosity, never limiting herself to one style, color, or technique. Over the years, Karen’s work has shifted between gestural abstractions with sweeping lines of color to more calculated geometric forms. Lately, Karen has been interested in the organization of shapes, and is fascinated with arranging them in various ways to see how they interact with one another on the canvas. She will sometimes create a prototype of a painting with examples of her brushstrokes before settling on a what to apply to her final canvas, choosing to tweak or alter small details. Regardless of what style or technique she is aiming for, Karen always enjoys the process and sharing her work with the world.
No matter the medium – painting, dance, writing – every decision is in the hands of the artist with disabilities, and in depth and breadth and philosophy, I don't think there's any other (program) like it.
The Arts Access Program is designed to inspire, uplift, and encourage the aspirations of artists with disabilities. It encompasses painting, digital art, sculpture, choreography, creative movement, creative writing, and drama. Arts Access artists are able to freely express themselves regardless of physical limitations. Working one-on-one with professional facilitators, the artists create a unique vision that is truly their own. Arts Access facilitators use carefully designed and clearly-defined charts and menu systems to help establish all aspects of communication between the facilitator and the artist, enabling the artists to create pieces of work that are distinctly their own. Arts Access is a program within the Matheny organization. To learn more about Matheny visit www.matheny.org.
This exhibition is a part of Sotheby’s Community Gallery initiative, where we partner with mission-driven organizations to spotlight artists and creatives. We firmly believe in the transformative power of art and culture, and are committed to making the art and luxury industries more inclusive, sustainable, and collaborative. We hope this space inspires you to consider how you define community, and expand the ways you see yourself and others.
