Wheelchair Muralists Explore Mobility and Creativity







Koltin creates patterns with the push-handle of the Art Roller by "Artz for All"


at the VSA Florida Booth during the Adaptive Fitness Expo

     


Gary discovers how easily the wishbone bridge of the Art Roller attaches to his wheelchair with Velcro. 
 Koltin shows off to his family how draw with the Little Art Roller.


Wheelchair Muralists Explore Mobility and Creativity

Written by:  Liz Ebanks
National Art Teacher Award Recipient

 Koltin and Gary jumped out of their red wagon to make their mark on the asphalt with new friends.  The boys raced over to draw with the giant sticks of chalk. Koltin zoomed around the VSAFL tent as a first time wheelchair user intent on mastering the canvas with the Art Rollers. Whereas, Gary focused on listening, and practiced disengaging the break and coordinating turning the wheelchair. Then, Gary zoomed out of the tent creating loops of chalk around a crowd of young girls. Everyone took a turn at sharpening their coordination and moving around the asphalt canvas with the new Art Rollers.  Regardless of ability or age the products engage students in movement.  The boys fear and anxiety were displaced by exhilaration and a new perspective of what it means to be in a wheelchair.  Together the friends coordinated on layering chalk designs.  The wheelchair artists' mural flooded the asphalt with swirls of pastels celebrating mobility, creativity, and discovery at VSA Florida's Booth during the Adaptive Fitness Expo in St. Petersburg, Florida on October 9, 2010.  The new Art Rollers were part of "The Arts For All" adaptive equipment designed by Dwayne Szot for young wheelchair muralists regardless of age or ability. The boys confidence soared as they explored maneuvering the wheelchair as a giant paint brush to create a pastel mural on the pavement. 

VSA Florida Teaching Artist Liz Ebanks coordinated the chalk mural as part of her young artist talent search.  Gary intently concentrated on drawing a track to the booth with the wheelchair outfitted with the new art equipment.  The Adaptive "Arts For All" Equipment introduced disabled students to independence, concentration, and dexterity while creating art.  The portable, lightweight plastic equipment enhances typical kids initial interactions with wheelchair users through positive role play.  Parents loved watching their children collaborate on where to place the next design element.  The kids loved choosing their color palette and placing the three to five jumbo sticks  in the Art Roller's chalk drawer.  The wheelchair was striped of its stigma and became, a tool of empowerment.


The kids practiced with the adaptive tools all morning developing gross coordination.  Highways of chalk emerged and collided into laughter when the learner's struggled not to shift the wheelchair haphazardly about the pavement.  Improvisation was required by the novices as they explored mobility from a wheelchair.  Friends shared tools and exchanged colored chalk to create the expressive mural. 

The Art Rollers are just one of many adaptive tools VSA Florida offers to connect typical learners and wheelchair users to explore creativity.  VSA Florida's mission is to create a society in which people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts.  For some students art is their first opportunity to celebrate their unique contribution to the community.  This initial positive experience leads to confidence that can be transferred to other academic subjects.  For other learners art is a catalyst to communicate expressively.

 

Compassion is modeled when learners assist other participants in attaching the Velcro straps of the art roller to the wheelchair.   Responsible learners guide newbies to draw once they release the breaks on the chair.  Quickly wheelchair learners were challenged when they could not drive straight between the lines.  The young muralist learned that they could better reach the wheelchair wheels after they removed the arm supports.  Some participants were humbled when they escaped the tent and tried to merge without colliding with the wheelchair basketball  players and kayaks.

Young independent artists love selecting their favorite colors of chalk to doodle with on the pavement. For many participants the Art Roller doodles were analogous to grabbing a fistful of markers to draw with on a sketch pad.  Quickly, the simple orange Velcro strips strapped the larger Art Roller onto any wheelchair.  The padded blue bar comfortably went under the participants legs. 
Then, the lightweight PVC like plastic Wishbone Bridge is connected to the chalk drawer with a key and interlocking post.  This made the equipment very easy to transport in a car or over your shoulder.  Moreover, everyone  loves how easy it is to clean up after using the non-toxic chalk.

The Adaptive Fitness Expo offered wheelchair soccer, Tai Chi, and Yoga to promote health and fitness for participants with disabilities.  Most classes were offered inside in the air conditioning or under the beautiful shady trees.  Hand crank bikes peddled through the exhibitors booths silently while the rock climbing wall was a hit with all of the guests at Walter Fuller Park.  The AFE raffle and lunch gave everyone a chance to network and play table top tennis inside the Recreation Center.

Adaptive Fitness Expo volunteers hosted a great raffle

in which VSA Florida Artist Karen Michaels contributed a

vibrant photograph of the autumn leaves entitled, "Day is Done."

Back at the VSA Florida booth all of the kids autographed the  table cloth that was generously donated by the Tampa Museum of Art.  The table cloth provided participants the opportunity to practice handwriting their names and bond with family.  Quickly a foam sticker alphabet emerged on the table top.  Then, a vowel shortage occurred that challenged the children to sort through the puzzle like mass of letters with parents.  Next, the centers of the letter "O" was used to transform "L's" into "I's."  Smiles of confidence began to shine through the table top of autographs.

Ken shared with the novices how to draw
a circle as an seasoned wheelchair user.

 Ken an accomplished wheelchair artist shared with the novices how to draw a perfect circle with a wheelchair.  Learners were challenged to firmly hold one wheel still while rotating the other wheel.  The learner's watched intently as Ken masterfully created a perfect circle with the enormous pieces of chalk from his wheelchair.

A beautiful smooth continuous arc was drawn when the movement was made at a constant speed.  This surprised and delighted the wheelchair learners as a challenge. The adaptive chalk rollers connected all the participants regardless of wheelchair experience.  Quickly, we all learned which basic shapes would be the hardest to create as wheelchair newbies.  Participants were encouraged and guided through each step of the process by VSA Florida Teaching Artist Liz Ebanks.  The "Arts  For All" Adaptive Art Rollers enabled the muralists to contribute to the VSA Florida chalk mural and celebrate mobility and creativity.


VSA Florida is working to increase arts, education and cultural opportunities in inclusive settings for and by Floridians with disabilities.  For more information on VSA Florida Inclusive programs or borrowing the Art Rollers visit http://www.vsafl.org/ Grants provide VSA Florida with the funding for the wheelchair artists to create more community murals using the adaptive equipment.

 As a National Art Teacher Award Recipient, I love empowering students with my inclusive art techniques to create phenomenal chalk murals with the Zotz Art Tools  I am happy to assist you in providing adaptive arts at camps, festivals, schools, and museums.  I always welcome opportunities to make art accessible to children of all abilities with my Award Winning Art Workshops in Tampa.  Igniting children's imaginations to triumph over disability is my specialty.  The kids love showcasing their artistry when I frame their masterpiece for the community and family.
Email: liz@rescueteam.com 

For more information on ordering Szot's innovative adaptive art rollers visit http://zotartz.com/

Here's a link to VSA's Adaptive Resources and Tools webpage.  An assortment of  suppliers for assitive technology and products to improve communication, hearning, vision, and mobility are listed at this link: 
 http://www.vsarts.org/x1022.xml

If you enjoyed this post you may also, like my link below to my
DOLPHIN ADVENTURE- Mural Showcased in Florida Capitol:
http://lizebanksartgallery.blogspot.com/search/label/Winter%20Inspires%20Kids%20to%20Adapt


TIP: I highly recommend this link to discover how, "athletes with spinal cord injury are pushing the boundaries of possibility through discovering how to surf, skate, and ski again" with this link to
Life Rolls On: 
http://www.liferollson.org/site/pp.asp?c=egLLKTNJE&b=932743

DISABILITY AWARENESS TIP: Consider using people first language when addressing artists that are first time wheelchair muralists as they role play and practice social etiquette.  This introduces a safe opportunity for participants to mirror new communication skills with friends.  Stereotypes about disabilities are cast aside.  The children discover how they would like to be treated as a wheelchair user.  It's wonderful to watch students reflect on how they can contribute to the conversation about the supports and accomodations with respect.