Jesse Higman’s paintbrush isn’t a brush at all. With limited mobility in his hands because of a car crash 27 years ago, this Seattle-based artist created a method all his own.
To control his colors, Higman built intricate tables with weights that bend his wooden canvas. Then he carefully pours pigment and water on the surface and watches them swirl to a small hole. The paint is like light being sucked into a black hole in space, he said. Left behind is a design he calls “Bone Orchid.”
“I think of it like I’m playing with nature on this tabletop,” said Higman, 42, who has been in a wheelchair since age 15.
His table and the painting went on display Tuesday (6/8) at the Smithsonian Institution as part of the world’s largest festival of artists with disabilities.
While Higman had wanted to focus more on fine art after working for years in the music industry, the idea of joining the 2010 International VSA Festival in Washington gave him pause: Would he gain a permanent label as a disabled artist? How would he be perceived?
But he decided to go with it.
“It’s a legitimate art show, which I was a little bit skeptical of at first,” Higman said. “I wondered if it was going to be to champion people with disabilities, to give them a pat on the back.”
Instead, he found dozens of pieces of vibrant, interesting art.
The festival, hosted by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at sites across the nation’s capital, runs through June 12 and features many free daily performances, films and visual arts. A juried exhibit, “Revealing Culture,” that includes Higman’s work among 130 pieces at the Smithsonian will remain on view through Aug. 29.
Renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly contributed a large-scale installation. Performances will feature singer Patti LaBelle, as well as Josh Blue, who won season four of “Last Comic Standing.”
Organizers brought in more than 600 artists, performers and educators from around the world, including students from every state who competed to have their work shown at Washington’s Union Station.
Taylor Bernard, 8, of Richmond, Va., who has cerebral palsy, was among the winners selected from 5,500 entries for her watercolor painting, inspired by the sunset at her grandmother’s Virginia Beach home.
She was with big company Tuesday as Jean Kennedy Smith, the last living sibling of President John F. Kennedy, met the students as their artwork went on view.
“We’re big believers that the arts are for everybody,” said Smith, who founded VSA (formerly Very Special Arts) in 1974.
The festival was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The exhibits are designed to be more accessible to disabled audiences than ever before. They include touchable examples of artworks, audio descriptions and labels written with Braille, curator Stephanie Moore said.
One installation, “Sight Unseen,” is the first major exhibit of the most-accomplished photographers with visual impairments. One section includes images with raised ink to allow blind visitors to feel the shape and dimension of the photograph.
Another exhibit features the work of Judith Scott, who was kept in an institution for 35 years with Down syndrome but began creating sculptures from yarn, paper towels and other simple materials almost constantly for 18 years once she was released to her sister’s custody.
“What I really want people to see is that, indeed, artists with disabilities play a major role in the arts community,” said Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser. “It is crucial that we not disenfranchise that segment of our population.”
Adam Gloo Joins Barbarian As Chief Creative Officer
Digital agency Barbarian has named Adam Gloo as its chief creative officer.
With over a decade of creative leadership experience, Gloo has shaped standout work at agencies including VML, 360i/Dentsu Creative, and most recently, SPCSHP (formerly Big Spaceship). During that time, he led teams that developed award-winning campaigns for brands such as Starbucks, Oreo, HBO, Absolut, Vanguard, and Google.
“Great creative work isn’t just about emotional connection--it must also provide real value to audiences. There’s too much noise in the market, and I’m not interested in adding to it,” said Gloo. “At Barbarian, my goal is to foster an environment where smart, unexpected ideas can thrive, and where technology and creativity combine to produce truly standout work. I’ve admired Barbarian since I started in this industry, and I am honored to now share the responsibility of leading it forward.”
Gloo brings a unique perspective to creative leadership, placing a high premium on both the power of curiosity, and the value of clear communication. He believes that curiosity is crucial to maintaining a technological and cultural edge, and that communication has the power to either drive a project forward, or grind it to a halt. Rather than implementing wholesale changes across the agency, he is focused on breaking down barriers to innovation and ensuring that technology serves as a catalyst for Barbarian’s creative work.
“Adam brings the kind of creative leadership that doesn’t just push out work--it pushes brands forward,” said Jeff Blackman, managing director at Barbarian. “He understands how to merge technology and creativity in a way that makes people care and inspires action. His vision will help us break through the... Read More