PASC AUGUST 2023 NEWSLETTER

Hello friends and supporters,

We launched PASC over two and a half years ago, to provide a career track art studio and exhibitions program for disabled adults, providing a platform for individual self-expression, independence, and confidence building. At the time no program like this existed in Detroit and Wayne County, which has the largest population of disabled adults in SE Michigan. We based PASC on several successful "supported studio programs" in other US cities, many who have been running for up to 50 years. Clearly we had a lot of catching up to do. But we are gaining on them. Within our short timeframe we have grown to support over 150 artists, launched three studios, held and participated in numerous exhibitions, and arranged sales of hundreds of artworks and products. Now, with your help, we can add to this list our first successful PASC fundraising campaign to establish the first public art studio and permanent gallery for disabled artists in Detroit at LANTERN.

Before and After images of LANTERN. Renderings copyright OMA and Luxigon.

WE MADE OUR MATCH! NO...WAIT!...WE EXCEEDED OUR MATCH!

We not only made our campaign match, we exceeded it. We are beyond excited to have raised $54,925 for STEP’s PASC program from an incredible group of patrons from all over the country: Ohio, Washington DC, Illinois, California, New York, Nevada, Hawaii, Texas, Florida, Arizona and of course Michigan. This means we will receive our matching grant from Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), through their Public Spaces Community Places program/grant match, providing us an additional $50,000!

But hey, we could not have done this without YOU! Thank you all our supporters. Your outpouring of support for the PASC program is unparalleled. We are in awe and gratitude for your tremendous generosity. We know this means you are making a commitment to our success. And thanks also to all the PASC and STEP staff for their work on fundraising events, for individual donating, and getting the word out to broaden our community of support.

Your donations will help us complete the build out of our professional gallery and studio space in the LANTERN building at 9301 Kercheval Ave. in Detroit. We will be sharing this building with anchor tenants Signal-Return, practicing artists, another art gallery or creative retail space, and several food and beverage establishments. Of course this location will place us in the increasingly vibrant and art centered East Village neighborhood.

The LANTERN building and our space are still under construction but we will be sending updates on the progress through this mailing list, as well as on social media. We are looking at occupying the building and being fully operational by the end of October, 2023, with a grand opening scheduled for sometime in November, more details soon!

PASC RECEIVES CFSEM GRANT

In other news. We are very excited to announce that we received a substantial grant from Michigan Economic Development Corporation (CFSEM) to support PASC. This grant will provide support for staffing, guest curator fees, furniture for our future LANTERN studio, and help to further aid in the build-out costs of PASC Detroit at LANTERN. We wish to express our sincere thanks to CFSEM for believing in the PASC Program.

Lewis Foster, The Scented Room, Brittany, 2023, colored pencil on paper, 18 x 24 in

THE SYMPATHETIC RELATIONSHIP OF THINGS: FINAL EXHIBITION AT PASC AT THE BELT GALLERY, OPENING SEPTEMBER 9

The Sympathetic Relationship of Things is our next and final exhibition at our PASC at the Belt gallery opening September 9, 6-8pm. This exhibition presents a group show of artwork by artists across all PASC studios, who work in a style where objects, strokes, or textures, are placed in repeated patterns in a single artwork, or across a series. The connection between these rendered objects suggests a sympathetic relationship between things.



This will be the most artists who have shown in this small space, with artwork by Stanley Brown, Shawna Campbell, Sereal Crawford, Chantell Donwell, Robert Duncombe, Nicholas Granch, Eric Green, Ryan McDonaugh, Renee Rogan, Marquise Rucker, and Donald Thomas. We will also feature a presentation of a series of 10 pieces by artist Lewis Foster.

Like all our previous exhibitions at the Belt Gallery, this opening will coincide with the opening exhibitions of three amazing artists, Tiffany Alfonseca, Monica Hernandez and Sara Nickleson at Library Street Collective and Louis Buhl galleries. We are so very thankful to Library Street Collective and The Skip, for the opportunity to present artwork in this pop-up gallery. The exposure and sales it has generated for our artists, for PASC and for what STEP does for the community is exceptional. PASC at the Belt gallery is located next to The Skip, at 1234 Belt Alley, in downtown Detroit.

Clockwise from left to right, Jirard Bond, Billy Medley, Dennis Cenzer, Therrin Burns, and Stanley Brown, all with Southgate Mayor Joseph G. Kuspa

SOUTHGATE BANNER RECEPTION

This past week several artists from our PASC Southgate studio, Jirard Bond, Stanley Brown, Therrin Burns, Alyce Carter, Dennis Cenzer, Robert Duncombe, Nejwa Elghoul, DeRon Hudson, Billy Medley, Randy Rodriguez and Marquise Rucker, were presented awards by the Southgate mayor Joseph G. Kuspa. These awards celebrate the presentation of these Southgate artists artworks on banners hung throughout the Market Hall Park and in front of the MJR Movie Theater.

Thanks again to PASC staff Hannah Lilly for setting up this project with Kaylee Mondrella, Downtown Development Authority Director

John Peterson with Anthony Marcellini at the Madison Heights Library speaking to a crowd about PASC

JOHN PETERSON TALKS ABOUT PASC AT ADA PRIDE EXHIBITION AT MADISON HEIGHTS LIBRARY

We had a wonderful reception for the artists exhibiting at the Madison Heights Library for their ADA Pride exhibiton last month. At the reception PASC Westland artist John Peterson gave some remarks about his experiences participating in PASC. And artist DeRon Hudson won an honorable mention for his artwork.

For more event details go here: https://www.misilc.org/mhartevent

SUPPORT PASC

If you are interested in further supporting our program we take material and financial contributions. We accept monetary donations through the following link stepcentral.org/monetary-donation make sure to select Progressive Art Studio collective. Or you can send a check to Services to Enhance Potential (with PASC written on the check) to 2941 S. Gulley Road, Dearborn, MI 48124-3160 

We also accept material donations, everything from lightly used art supplies, art equipment and furniture, and art books. Please email a description and an image of what you would like to donate to progressiveart@stepcentral.org.

Or you can purchase something for our studio artists via our wish list at at Blick here or our Amazon list.

Thank you  

PASC and STEP 

www.progressiveartstudiocollective.org

www.stepcentral.org



Progressive Art Studio Collective is a program of Services to Enhance Potential (STEP) a non profit organization which provides support and services to over 1,400 persons with developmental disabilities and mental health differences in Wayne County.

@ProgressiveArtStudioCollective