By Debra Scheuerman
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| Holiday Art Mart Gymnasium |
I attended The Center for
Individuals with Physical Challenges annual Holiday Art Mart and met many inspiring
people. As I walked into The Center I was immediately greeted by a group of
people, and as I continued down the hall not one person passed without saying
hello and asking how I was. I walked into the gymnasium to see over 20 tables
set up where members of The Center were selling the art work they had made. I
spoke with Sally Ramirez, the abstract teaching artist.
Moving to Oklahoma from Los
Angeles was a big transition for Ramirez. She worked with Teach for America
before finding her position at The Center, where she has held the position for
two years. In her classes Ramirez, does not censor her students. As their
teacher, Ramirez lets them use art as an emotional outlet, exploring their
personal lives and journey. She said her students “utilize art as a vehicle for
expression”.
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| Jones's display table |
I walked around to talk to a
few of Ramirez’s students and encountered Melita Jones. While I was looking at
the ceramics she made she told me that she had been in Ramirez’s class for two
years. She had no idea she was good at ceramics until she started attending
class, and now she loves it.
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| Snodgrass's display table |
Next I spoke to Brent Snodgrass. He had an array
of items for sale ranging from walking sticks to intricate ceramic dinner sets.
As I was admiring his work he told me that he has been legally blind since the
age of 25. He said that Ramirez and her art classes have given him a place to
think outside the box. “I am catalyst for the art, I let it become what it
wants,” he said. While showing me a “run” on his ceramic design he told me “in
the outside world a run like this would be considered ugly. But [at The Center]
I have the opportunity to make ugly things beautiful. And that is a gift.”
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