A Gratitude Shout-Out!
There’s a lot of language out in the world that is divisive, hateful, demeaning, and preys on our inner troll asking it to come out and play. This post is the opposite of that. As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts I have a hard time asking for help, that the world is much more difficult to navigate with MS impacting my mobility and energy, and I’m trying to find better pathways in addressing both of these challenges. So, I want to give a shout out to the people that help me continue to practice my art by providing accommodations, both formal or informal.
A BIG THANK YOU to Sertoma Arts Center teachers and staff. The building is old, and it does not have an elevator (something they will address in the upcoming renovation). The painting studio is on the first floor and the pottery studio is in the basement. I was taking painting classes prior to my diagnosis, which happened during COVID, so when I returned in person, my limited mobility was new. Larry Dean, my painting teacher, has offered and supplied help when I’ve needed it getting to and from my car. And most recently, the center director, Julia Meder, has provided some additional accommodations to make it easier to get to my painting classes.
When I started taking pottery post-Covid, I would park at the entrance, walk in, scan my card, walk back out, and then drive to the back of the building where I park in a handicap spot and could enter the pottery studio without going down the stairs. After a few months of this, the front desk staff told me to stop coming in the front and to just call them. Now, I have learned their names and voices when I call to check in. THANK YOU Ariel, Emily, Lisa, Anne, Max, Nick, Katy, Darby, and the others who have come and gone during the years there.
And the pottery teachers and staff! I’ve mainly taken classes with Steve Karloski and Tim Cherry, who have both offered to help me get things in lower cabinets, take things to my car for me, and help me find a place where I can be comfortable to work among other things. And then there’s Joan, Patty, and Andy who work in the studio. They have offered to help me move buckets of glaze, put my creations on shelves, and do other things to help me that don’t make me feel like an imposition. Y’ALL ARE THE BEST!
Not only have the teachers and staff at Sertoma been awesome, the community of patrons there is always happy to help! There are the people who I’ve taken classes with, like Chris, Lydia, Marianne, Rebecca, Kathy, Jeff, CJ, Anne, Watta, Sigrid, Michael, Heath, Michele, and more, who help me carry things, put things on shelves, and more. I don’t know everyone’s name, but I know their faces, and I am SO THANKFUL to have such a supportive painting and pottery community at Sertoma.
And then there’s the folks in my other arty places, like the David Dunlop workshops at the Centerpiece, managed by Kelly Frost. I’ve known Kelly and David since before my diagnosis as well, and when the time came to do a workshop, not only did David reach out to make sure I had everything I needed, Kelly did as well. I have a workshop starting this week at the Centerpiece with David, and Kelly called me a few weeks ago to check in to see what accommodations I needed this year, if what we tried last year worked, and what adjustments we could make. And David has a group of people that I see and know who also help me–Paul Gala, Gena, Betsy, and others. They all try to create an inclusive atmosphere for me. THANK YOU!
Ideally the world would be inclusive, but it’s not designed that way. I read about a group recently who is working in the space of inclusion that said it’s too hard to change everything, so they’re changing the one piece they can control. That statement makes me sad because creating inclusive spaces is hard. And, it’s why I am SO GRATEFUL to all you beautiful people who make my art practice easier.
AND, if you want to show your support to some of these folks, come to the Fall Arts Festival at Fred Fletcher Park on October 5th where Pullen and Seroma Artists, including me, will be demonstrating and selling their work AND you can learn about inclusivity in the arts at the Arts Access North Carolina booth, a non-profit working to have a positive impact at the intersection of arts, education, and disability.
Pay a visit to the Centerpiece too–they have art, classes, and framing, and know that if you need an accommodation for a workshop, Kelly is there to help you out.
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