Stockbridge — The art exhibit “The View From Here” opened at the Berkshire Botanical Garden Leonhardt Gallery on Thursday, March 9. The exhibit, which will be on display at the gallery until Sunday, March 26, includes 30 paintings and drawings that were created via workshops held by the Community Access to the Arts nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
According to its website, the organization’s mission is to “nurture and celebrate the creativity of people with disabilities through the arts.” The organization, based in Great Barrington, was founded in 1993 by Sandra Newman and offers workshops in art, performance art including dance and theater, and physical activities including yoga and dancing.
The paintings were created both on-site at the Botanical Gardens and in various workshops held at CATA’s studios.
Organization founder Sandra Newman, who stepped down from the organization in 2014, said she is impressed by the work presented at the exhibit. “It’s wonderful to see how this organization continues to flourish and grow,” Newman said. “What these artists bring to us is their true gifts. Their talent is unbelievable and it allows them to find the talents within themselves.”
“CATA is a wonderful organization,” Berkshire Botanical Garden Executive Director Thaddeus Thompson said. “It’s a truly inspiring organization and it is an honor for us to host this. It has been great to have artists come here to experience the garden and nature. To us, nature is universal and art is something that should be accessible to us all. This program has helped others to experience nature and participate in the creation of art.”
“We see every painting and drawing in this exhibit as an opportunity for each of us to enter into the world of our CATA artists, to see the world from their lens,” CATA Executive Director Margaret Keller wrote via email. “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with the Berkshire Botanical Garden to celebrate the talents of CATA artists with disabilities. This exhibit allows our artists to share their creativity with the wider community, drawing us into their perspectives and life experiences.”
For more information about CATA, go to its website.
