Untitled painting by Kevin White.

Matheny’s Art Access Program began 15 years ago with a question:  “Can people with disabilities create fine art?”  Anyone who attended Full Circle 2008, the 15th anniversary celebration of Arts Access, held Saturday, November 15 in Matheny’s Robert Schonhorn Arts Center, knows the answer to that question. 

In the auditorium, following an art reception in the gallery, Lyn Sanders, director of Arts Access, introduced a presentation that included dramatic interpretations of poetry, wheelchair dance performances, a multimedia collaboration between an Arts Access artist and an able-bodied dance company and a preview of a documentary being produced by P3 Entertainment that clearly demonstrated the art facilitation process.

While there may have been setbacks and obstacles along the way as Arts Access developed, Sanders, said, “the word, ‘impossible’, is not a word that ever described Arts Access.  A better description, she said, would be, ‘pure imagination’. . . These amazing artists have taught me to take the time to listen to them as they speak their unique language.  They have more to say than anyone would ever have dreamed.”

Program sponsor for Full Circle was Johnson & Johnson.  Bronze patrons were Summit Medical Group, Berkeley Heights; David Teiger, James T. Finn and Dr. Richard, Sheila and Bari Kim Goldrosen.  Food and beverages were donated by Chipotle Mexican Grill, Bridgewater; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries and Limestone Cafe, Peapack; Country Picnic, Bedminster; Gladstone Tavern, Gladstone; and Village Office Supply, Somerset.

For More Full Circle Photos, see the Photo Gallery