The Art of Inclusion
September 26, 2007
Karl Fitzgerald, one of three visiting artists, working in the studio while Lamont Gallery visitors watch
Exuberance is the name of the game in the current exhibition at Lamont Gallery. "From Ireland to Exeter" celebrates the power of creativity and four artists – Sinead Fahey, Karl Fitzgerald, George McCutcheon and Margaret Walker – from Kilkenny Collective for Arts Talent (KCAT), based in Kilkenny, Ireland. As you enter the gallery, a riot of colorful shapes – some recognizable as animals and landscapes, others abstract – virtually leap off the paper with life.
KCAT was founded by the Camphill Communities of Ireland to facilitate the artistic development of individuals with a range of disabilities. "We're strong believers in the power of creativity and an inclusive environment," explains Paul Bokslag, director of KCAT. "Our focus is on ability rather than disability. We want to make lifelong learning a possibility for everyone." Since its founding in 1996, KCAT artists have shown internationally in both solo and group exhibits. Nothing states KCAT's success more strongly than the works of the artists, and the excitement they engender.
"The work is beautiful," says Caroline, a senior, who visited the exhibit with her art class. "It's complex and simple at the same time. It's very happy."
"I love the colors they use," explained Laura, also a senior. For Kevin, a lower, the impact came down to representation. "It's really interesting," he says, "to see how they depicted what they thought."
Three of the artists – Fitzgerald, McCutcheon and Walker – came to Exeter for four days, accompanied by Bokslag, KCAT teacher Steve Aylin, and Patrick Lydon '68, founder of the Ballytobin Camphill community in Callan, Ireland, and the visionary behind KCAT. The visiting artists worked in a studio, set up in a gallery side bay, where they shared their artmaking with gallery visitors. More than 130 students from photography, painting and printmaking classes, and countless other visitors viewed the show during the artists' visit. Bokslag also presented the KCAT philosophy and introduced the artists at an all-school assembly.
"I was struck by how the exhibit 'wowed' the students," says Tara Misenheimer, art instructor, who brought her printmaking class to the exhibit. "It provided them with the unique opportunity to see artists at work at a table with messy paints – juxtaposed with finished framed pieces in the gallery. They were drawn like magnets to the studio work area. It definitely opened students' ways of thinking about art and artmaking. This show is about the act of being creative, about communicating messages, feelings and themes."
"Meeting and spending time with the artists of KCAT is a wonderful experience," says Lamont Gallery Director Karen Burgess Smith. "But even more valuable is being a part of the vital link between the students and the artists, with several of them being recognized internationally for their talents." Misenheimer adds: "The works in this show are powerfully narrative. Overall, it is a wonderfully inspiring show for both studio instructors and students alike."
For the artists, "From Ireland to Exeter" is a watershed. This is their first New England exhibit, and the first time they have been able to interact with students at an American school. "It's magic and amazing," said Walker, of the exhibit and the opportunity to travel to Exeter. "I was stunned when I walked into the gallery." Aylin added, "This show is an extremely valuable exercise for the artists. It validates their work as artists. There is no labeling, no negativity. They are praised on the same level as any other artists. It's basically a show of four artists who happen to come from Callan, Ireland."
Exeter has a longstanding link to Ireland and Camphill. Lydon and his wife Gladys founded the Ballytobin community in 1979. Ballytobin receives regular visits from Exeter faculty, staff and students. Each year, two PEA seniors spend a term there, living and working with approximately 40 adults and children with significant special needs, and attending art classes at KCAT.
This November marks the 25th anniversary of the Frederick R. Mayer Art Center, which houses the Lamont Gallery, art studios and classrooms. "RedHOUSE: Architecture for Art," opening on October 13, is the first in a series of shows to celebrate this anniversary, and will showcase art from the collections of Jan and Frederick R. Mayer '45, as well as their home, designed to house their collections. To learn more about the arts, including upcoming exhibits at Lamont Gallery, see the Arts at Exeter page.
Interested in learning more?
Read about the exhibition and the artists…
Learn about the experiences of Exeter students teaching and working with people with special needs…
Discover more about Ireland's Camphill communities…
