Family Focus

Keri Guten Cohen

Story Development Editor

T

Tobi Alexander of

Farmington Hills

in front of her

colorful art

'JARC In January'

Exhibition showcases creativity of JARC artists.

Above: Vivian Posner of Farmington Hills shows off

her sculpture.

Above left: Dana Loewenstein of West Bloomfield;
Jane Linn, CEO and president BBAC; artists Laura

Shirfrin and Jenny Baldwin, both of Southfield; Rick

Loewenstein, CEO of JARC.

Left: Melanie Richman in front of her bold artwork.

he exhibit "JARC in January"
opened Jan. 8 at the
Birmingham-Bloomfield Art
Center (BBAC) with a little Shabbat cel-
ebration. But what truly captured every-
one's attention was the creative, poignant,
colorful artwork done by 15 members of
JARC, a Farmington Hills-based organiza-
tion dedicated to enabling people with
disabilities to live full, dignified lives in
the community.
About 30 people from JARC participate
in BBAC's Studio 1 program, which is
geared to bring the transformative power
of art to those who may have had limited
access to it.
"Outreach" sessions in Studio 1 include
two hours of instruction and workshops,
led by Molly Murphy Landis and other
members of the BBAC's faculty. Because of
generous foundation support, fees are cur-
rently nominal with guaranteed fee waivers
to organizations without the ability to pay.
"Everything was just so fabulous:' said
Jenny Baldwin of JARC's independent liv-
ing program. "I love the classes we take. It's
so much fun making different kinds of
things in the different media. I'm going
back to the BBAC again this week to take a
closer look at the displays."
While enjoying the art exhibition she is
part of, Laura Shifrin, also of JARC's inde-
pendent living program, said. "The whole
event was lovely. The section with the wall
displays was very unusual. I absolutely love
the desert scene where the sunset was done
in black glass and tiles. How beautiful!"
JARC artist Melanie Richman, also in the
independent living program, said, "It was a
very fun evening."
"JARC in January" is on through Feb.
12 at the BBAC, 1516 S. Cranbrook Road
(Evergreen and 14 Mile) in Birmingham.
Funding for Studio 1 comes from a two-
year grant of $65,000 from the Community
Foundation for Southeast Michigan,
plus funds from TriMas Corporation
Foundation, Bank of America and the
De Roy Testamentary Foundation.
Seniors from Jewish Senior Life also
participate in the Studio 1 program, as well
as members of a dozen other local organi-
zations.
Another facet of Studio 1 is its Drop-In
Workshops that provide access to quality
art experiences for families and individu-
als from 1-4 p.m. Sundays at the BBAC.
Designed for all ages, the sessions are $5
per person to cover the cost of materials.
Reservations are not required; participants
can expect to complete an art project in
about 45 minutes. For more information,
call (248) 644-0866 ext. 128 or 129.

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January 21 • 2010

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