HeartShare art show draws rave reviews

Disabled clients display their talents

October 6, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The art show features works by HeartShare clients. An artist known as Amoako B. painted this lively portrait of the cast the ABC’s “The View” with President Barack Obama. Photo courtesy of HeartShare Human Services of New York

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Children and adults with developmental disabilities have created drawings, paintings, collages, photographs and hand-crafted jewelry that are now on display at a special art exhibition in MetroTech.

HeartShare Human Services of New York launched its Eighth Annual ArtShare for HeartShare show on Sept. 26 at NYU Tandon School of Engineering at 6 Metrotech Center. The show will move to the lobby of National Grid at 1 Metrotech Center on Oct. 10, where it will be up until Oct. 21.

From Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 ArtShare for HeartShare will be on display at 12 Metrotech Center.

The show will move to Manhattan on Nov. 10, when an exhibition will take place at Central Booking at 21 Ludlow St.

The exhibition features the works of clients of HeartShare, a nonprofit social services agency based in Downtown Brooklyn that provides education, foster care, housing, job training and other services for the developmentally disabled.

Bill Guarinello is the president and CEO of HeartShare.

Co-curators Barbara Cuthel and Edgardo Velez and the ArtShare committee place each artwork in a frame and set up the art for each show.

Because of ArtShare, people with developmental disabilities have found a means of personal expression, according to HeartShare representatives, who said that up to now their talents have been largely excluded.

“Our artists are as good as or better than contemporary artists,” Cuthel said in a statement.

In addition to HeartShare, the exhibition is supported by NYU Tandon School of Engineering, National Grid and Forest City Ratner Companies.

In its early years, the ArtShare exhibition took place at New Century Artists Gallery in Chelsea.

Having their art displayed in a Manhattan gallery was an empowering experience for clients, HeartShare representatives said.

After the gallery closed, HeartShare’s staff worked to find an alternative exhibition space. As part of that effort, HeartShare developed community partnerships to ensure that its clients still had a chance at artistic expression through displaying their works in smaller shows in building lobbies.

HeartShare will host a reception at Central Booking on Nov. 10.

For more information about the ArtShare program, call 718-422-3268.