Synergy Partners Professional Artists with Young Autistic Artists
Synergy Arts Foundation is collaborating with Andrea Moriarty, author of Radical Inclusion, and Revision Creative Arts Program, an organization providing access to art, culture, and social practices to people with developmental disabilities. The project is spearheaded by Moriarty to illustrate the call to action for integrated communities.
Six professional artists were carefully selected by Synergy because of their experience with this population and their art genres. Each artist with autism was paired with a professional artist working in a similar genre and medium. Each pair will collaborate on an artwork that celebrates the theme of “community” as a stepping stone for a collective exchange of ideas and experiences. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide opportunities for both professional and autistic artists to encourage mutual learning by recognizing the amazing narratives that are produced when different worlds meet to speak the same language.
The resulting collaborative works together with one original artwork from each participant will tour San Diego County from August this year through the end of 2020. All works will be for sale.
Collaborative Artist Pairs
Katie Flores and Moya Devine
Jack Medved and Amanda Saint-Claire
Ethan Marr and Anna Stoefen
Brendan Kerr and Joy Boe
Stevenson Sapper and Rich Walker
Alejandra Acosta and Deron Cohen
Synergy Arts Foundation is collaborating with Andrea Moriarty, author of Radical Inclusion, and Revision Creative Arts Program, an organization providing access to art, culture, and social practices to people with developmental disabilities. The project is spearheaded by Moriarty to illustrate the call to action for integrated communities.
Six professional artists were carefully selected by Synergy because of their experience with this population and their art genres. Each artist with autism was paired with a professional artist working in a similar genre and medium. Each pair will collaborate on an artwork that celebrates the theme of “community” as a stepping stone for a collective exchange of ideas and experiences. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide opportunities for both professional and autistic artists to encourage mutual learning by recognizing the amazing narratives that are produced when different worlds meet to speak the same language.
The resulting collaborative works together with one original artwork from each participant will tour San Diego County from August this year through the end of 2020. All works will be for sale.
Collaborative Artist Pairs
Katie Flores and Moya Devine
Jack Medved and Amanda Saint-Claire
Ethan Marr and Anna Stoefen
Brendan Kerr and Joy Boe
Stevenson Sapper and Rich Walker
Alejandra Acosta and Deron Cohen
Healing Arts Program at Scripps Encinitas
Through grants from the City of Encinitas, Synergy Arts Foundation continues to provide healing arts classes at the Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas Community Programs. The classes are free to all in-patients as well as Encinitas residents who are recovering from any neurological issues, including but not limited to brain injuries, strokes, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. The class provides opportunities to enjoy self-expression through art, reduce stress, increase hand-eye coordination, and stimulate imagination and creativity in a comfortable and supportive environment. The facilitator is Denise McMurtrie, a seasoned healing arts facilitator who has worked with the Alzheimer Association and many dementia and healthcare facilities throughout the county.
Through grants from the City of Encinitas, Synergy Arts Foundation continues to provide healing arts classes at the Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas Community Programs. The classes are free to all in-patients as well as Encinitas residents who are recovering from any neurological issues, including but not limited to brain injuries, strokes, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. The class provides opportunities to enjoy self-expression through art, reduce stress, increase hand-eye coordination, and stimulate imagination and creativity in a comfortable and supportive environment. The facilitator is Denise McMurtrie, a seasoned healing arts facilitator who has worked with the Alzheimer Association and many dementia and healthcare facilities throughout the county.
Vista Hill's ParentCare Family Recovery Center
Synergy Arts Foundation is funding an arts program at Vista Hill’s ParentCare Family Recovery Center, partially funded by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. This organization has been helping “high-risk” families break the cycle of child abuse, neglect, substance abuse and domestic violence for over 26 years. By providing drug rehabilitation, parenting skills classes and much more, ParentCare provides families the opportunity to make critical lifestyle changes and create a safe, nurturing home environment for their children.
The primary goal of the ParentCare art program is to provide participants a creative and stimulating opportunity to explore artistic experience and expression. The ParentCare population is primarily mothers and mothers-to-be (18-40) who are in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, many of whom have come out of Fostercare and some are homeless. Some mothers bring their infants to class while older children are encouraged to participate. The art instructor, Pam Palmer-Lowe, is a professional interior designer with a background in applied design and management.,
Primary benefits of the art project are to enhance self-confidence, focus and patience and to explore creativity and self expression through different art mediums. Simultaneously, the art classes provide a safe environment in which to relax, have fun and promote building a sense of community through sharing creative ideas and solutions.
Synergy Arts Foundation is funding an arts program at Vista Hill’s ParentCare Family Recovery Center, partially funded by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. This organization has been helping “high-risk” families break the cycle of child abuse, neglect, substance abuse and domestic violence for over 26 years. By providing drug rehabilitation, parenting skills classes and much more, ParentCare provides families the opportunity to make critical lifestyle changes and create a safe, nurturing home environment for their children.
The primary goal of the ParentCare art program is to provide participants a creative and stimulating opportunity to explore artistic experience and expression. The ParentCare population is primarily mothers and mothers-to-be (18-40) who are in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, many of whom have come out of Fostercare and some are homeless. Some mothers bring their infants to class while older children are encouraged to participate. The art instructor, Pam Palmer-Lowe, is a professional interior designer with a background in applied design and management.,
Primary benefits of the art project are to enhance self-confidence, focus and patience and to explore creativity and self expression through different art mediums. Simultaneously, the art classes provide a safe environment in which to relax, have fun and promote building a sense of community through sharing creative ideas and solutions.
Space 4 Art Photography for Youth Project
Synergy Arts Foundation collaborated with Space 4 Art to fund a free course in photography for youth from the Greater Logan Heights neighborhoods. Students took photographs in their community, highlighting the unique public spaces, experiences, and relationships in the neighborhood. The students integrated documentary photography and various styles of writing, incorporating history, critical theory, and hands-on investigation to create stories from real life. Students created collages printed on donated vinyl banners displaying their impressions and perceptions of life in the neighborhood.
We worked with business and property owners along Imperial Avenue to select sites to display 10 banners on the outside walls of buildings. Imperial Avenue is the primary commercial corridor in the neighborhood. Beautifying this area has attracted customers and boost the local economy. Publicly displaying art that is created by local youth instills a sense of pride in the neighborhood and can effectively deter tagging. This was an opportunity for local youth to gain multidisciplinary skills in arts and technology that can be applied to their future careers. It was a great way for kids to see how art can positively impact their community.
Synergy Arts Foundation collaborated with Space 4 Art to fund a free course in photography for youth from the Greater Logan Heights neighborhoods. Students took photographs in their community, highlighting the unique public spaces, experiences, and relationships in the neighborhood. The students integrated documentary photography and various styles of writing, incorporating history, critical theory, and hands-on investigation to create stories from real life. Students created collages printed on donated vinyl banners displaying their impressions and perceptions of life in the neighborhood.
We worked with business and property owners along Imperial Avenue to select sites to display 10 banners on the outside walls of buildings. Imperial Avenue is the primary commercial corridor in the neighborhood. Beautifying this area has attracted customers and boost the local economy. Publicly displaying art that is created by local youth instills a sense of pride in the neighborhood and can effectively deter tagging. This was an opportunity for local youth to gain multidisciplinary skills in arts and technology that can be applied to their future careers. It was a great way for kids to see how art can positively impact their community.
Feeding America and Young Audiences
Synergy Arts Foundation partnered with Feeding America SD (FASD) to provide arts educational programming to 150 students at Kimbrough Elementary School. These particular children receive weekly food packages for their families from FASD. SAF retained Young Audiences to coordinate after school music and visual arts programs for these children. Some of the art created by the children was gifted to FASD.
WOW Project - Wives of Warriors Retreat
Synergy Arts Foundation has provided on-going grants for this Healing Arts program. The goal of WOW is to support caretakers of soldiers suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain injuries, returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The program recognizes that the war does not end on the battlefield, but continues in the homes and lives of these affected soldiers returning home. The program provides relief to the caretakers who are themselves beginning to take on trauma of their own. Quarterly day and weekend retreats create an atmosphere of support, relaxation and rejuvenation to defuse stress to these wives and mothers. The creative and healing arts have been an important component of the retreats by helping these women find a safe place to express and explore their diverse feelings and experiences. Journaling, book making, painting and photography have added life, introspection and emotional support. The program team, "Families Adopting Families, includes Tama Dumlao, Brigid Brett and Joyce Noblitt Herold. Recent article: BRETT: Watching out for families of One-Five For more information, see www.wivesofwar.org
LifeLine & Young Audiences
Synergy Arts Foundation and Young Audiences partner with North County Lifeline to provide dance and visual art programs for children and teens in the North County Lifeline's After School Gang Prevention programs at San Luis Rey and Crown Heights Resource Centers. Through six week visual art
and hip hop programs, our objective is to support Lifeline in its mission to help build youth resilience. The visual arts program is reaching 25 students, ranging in age from 7 to 17.
Synergy Arts Foundation and Young Audiences partner with North County Lifeline to provide dance and visual art programs for children and teens in the North County Lifeline's After School Gang Prevention programs at San Luis Rey and Crown Heights Resource Centers. Through six week visual art
and hip hop programs, our objective is to support Lifeline in its mission to help build youth resilience. The visual arts program is reaching 25 students, ranging in age from 7 to 17.
Artenkozi Sculpture Project, South Africa & The American Cuban Friendship Sculpture
Another most interesting project we supported was Artenkozi Project. Although it is unusual to support projects outside of San Diego County, one of Synergy’s founders, Muffin Bekker, returned to South Africa and is active in the arts community in her area, around Plettenberg Bay. The sculpture, called Nokuthula, approximately 4.5 meters tall, will be installed at the entrance of Kwanokuthula, Plettenberg Bay. The goal is to attract tourists to this impoverished community and engender it an arts heritage site. As part of the fabrication of the sculpture, a training workshop is scheduled for community members in collaboration with an architectural firm. Environmentally-friendly techniques will be taught. Our Synergy ambassador in South Africa, Muffin, will be updating us on its progress.