Indiana Disability Justice showcases artwork by people with all kinds of disabilities. We are here. We are human. We matter. We want to be seen. Thank you, Tom! Your artwark has such a cool element to it!
(ArtMix offers avenues for people with disabilities to express themselves creativity- www.artmixindiana.org.)
A pale ceramic mask with brown eyes, red lips, and black sunglasses.
Current location: ArtMix
Size: Three dimensional, widest point w6”x widest point h7.5”x tallest point 2”
Medium: Ceramic and plastic addition
Artist’s name: Tom Hamilton
Title: Blues Brothers Kid
Date: Unknown
I think this piece is entertaining. It was challenging to make it- to think up the designs and put it together. I had to go through the steps and make it work. The piece is made from a clay slab that I rolled and cut to shape. I added the glasses to the glazed ceramic mask with a hot glue gun to make my piece neat. I designed it around a character from the second Blues Brothers movie. The way I feel or think about my work goes a lot of different directions.
(ArtMix note: Tom really enjoys making, showing, talking about and selling his work. He uses templates to keep his work consistent and has worked hard over the years to develop his processes and a line of ceramics that is high quality and identifiable as his. Before Covid, Tom also volunteered at ArtMix with student check in for classes and as a guest musician at gallery events.)
About the Artist: Tom Hamilton
Tom grew up and went to high school in Indianapolis. He has attended classes at ArtMix for many years. He lives in the neighborhood and often stops by on his bike to say hi and check on his artwork.
Indiana Disability Justice showcases artwork by people with all kinds of disabilities. We are here. We are human. We matter. We want to be seen.
This is artwork by Sarah Strouse. Thank you, Sarah, for bringing passion in your artwork!!
(ArtMix offers avenues for people with disabilities to express themselves creativity- www.artmixindiana.org.)
This is a self-portait of Sarah Strouse. Medium brown hair that comes pass the ears. Black glasses. Closed eyes. Light blue top. Blue background.
Size: w16”xh20”
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Artist’s name: Sarah Strouse
Title: Self Portrait
Date: Unknown
My painting is a picture of myself. My friend helped me paint it. I looked in the mirror to draw it. After drawing I used paint. I added the black outlines last. I think I did a good job with the face. I like the blue in the background. I really enjoy making artwork. It makes me feel kind of happy about it. Making art makes me proud.
About the Artist: Sarah Strouse
I was born Indianapolis, Indiana. My name is Sarah Strouse. I started at ArtMix when I was in middle school at the Key School in Indianapolis Public Schools. I went to North Central High School for high school. I am 33 years old. I live with my dad and my brother. I recently lost my mother, Paula. I like the arts. I love making art all the time. I like making art on canvas, using markers and paint. I like showing the four seasons for my artwork subjects and sometimes different holidays. I love showing my work in the ArtMix gallery on First Fridays. I’d like to learn how to help other people with their artwork.
Indiana Disability Justice showcases artwork by people with all kinds of disabilities. We are here. We are human. We matter. We want to be seen.
This is the work of. Emily West. Thank you, Emily, for showing your spirit!
(ArtMix offers avenues for people with disabilities to express themselves creativity- www.artmixindiana.org.)
Painting of blue flowers in a short red vase in front of a orange and yellow background
Current location: ArtMix
Size: w14.5”xh14.25”
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Artist’s name: Emily West
Title: Floral Study
Date: 2019
My piece makes me feel happy. I love the details and I really love flowers. I really love painting pictures and it makes me feel relaxed and calm. I want people to feel happy when they look at my painting. I also hope they know how proud I am because this is one of my best paintings. It would look good in a really fancy frame.
Emily holding a self-portrait. Emily has short light brown hair, wearing earrings and a red sweatshirt.
About the Artist: Emily West
I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 17, 1997. I am 24 years old. I went to Beech Grove High School and I live in Beech Grove with my parents and my dog, Sadie. My full name is Emily Suzanne West. I have two siblings, Megan and Rachel. Megan is married to Drew and my sister Rachel is going to get married soon. Her fiancée’s name is Brad. I started in Urban Artisans at ArtMix when I was in high school. I go to ArtMix two days per week. At ArtMix we usually work in clay, but I make my own artwork too. I like to make landscapes and portraits. I use pencil, paint, colored pencil and oil pastels. I also use an easel at home so I can paint. I have a drawing pad when I draw. I love art because I love the colors, designs and textures that I make. I have been practicing drawing a lot lately. I want to practice more sketching and paint pictures of cities, nature and people.
Painting. Textured background that is very rough to the touch, but you can see the grooves. The bottom left of the painting starts dark black and slowly transitions to dark purple and ombre effects into light colors at the top right corner. There is one lotus flower in the center, one to the left, and two to the left in the colors of pink and white. There are abstract blue and green lily pads to complete the aesthetic.
Painting Description: Textured background that is very rough to the touch, but you can see the grooves. The bottom left of the painting starts dark black and slowly transitions to dark purple and hombre effects into light colors at the top right corner. There is one lotus flower in the center, one to the left, and two to the left in the colors of pink and white. There are abstract blue and green lily pads to complete the aesthetic.
Lotus flowers, much like survivors of complex trauma, have learned to thrive in the most adverse of circumstances. These gorgeous specimens have reclaimed the concept of beauty and what it means to grow something lovely from filth, one that has become a beacon of light for my own healing journey. 15 years ago, I found myself caught in my own murky water and found my own way out 2 years later. Much like a lotus flower, I learned to thrive in the unkind world that helped to create the circumstances leading to my exploitation. One of the hardest lessons I ever had to learn during my 13 year recovery journey was to know when it is time to stop reliving the pain and to let myself heal and enjoy life. The voices of all my abusers past have faded as the years passed, and I slowly learned that I am worthy of love, acceptance, and happiness. They were so loud for so many years that even after I broke free from them, I still could not rid myself of their influence. You’re ugly. You are worthless. You will never find anyone else because no one wants to put up with you. You’ll never find a husband. God hates you. Everyone hates you. No one will help you. You don’t deserve to live. I think I was just afraid that if I let my pain go, I wouldn’t know where I came from or the kind of person I would become. I guess I was afraid that I would lose touch with my reality and forget that it even happened. But then it happened after several YEARS re-programming, re-defining, and re-learning what it means to thrive. I let my beautiful petals grow brighter and lovelier through each season of growth so that I could still have a life full of everything I thought I had lost. I decided I was worthy. Like a lotus, I fought through the murk and the mud to get to the light. And then I became my own light.
Charlie’s art is available for purchase at this link.
Charlie Quinn Tebow, LMSW, survivor, artist
Image description: Caucasian non-binary individual with a big smile in front of a brick building wearing my favorite tie-dye shirt. Wild styled short pixie cut blonde hair
Creator Bio: An alumnus of Washburn University with a clinical Masters of Social Work degree, Charlie dedicates their life to serving others like them, CPTSD (chronic post traumatic stress disorder) survivors. Their day job as a social worker and Missing Youth Specialist on the Kansas Special Response Team for Missing and Exploited Youth provides them with opportunities to empower and engage runaway and exploited youth in foster care to overcome complex and compounded trauma, and find the path to who they want to be. Charlie is a dedicated advocate with specializations for persons who have experienced human sex trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, childhood trauma, interpersonal violence, and other complex or compounded traumas. Charlie is part of the LGBTQ community as a nonbinary person (they/them), and a staunch leader and participant in social justice activism. They are an ally for all trans and/or persons of color, as well as dedicated activist for Black Lives Matter and Trans Lives Matter movements. Charlie is a member of the National Human Trafficking Survivor Network and Survivor Leaders Institute, and has delivered keynote and training sessions to professionals from around the country. Charlie is also an accomplished artist and expert in the healing arts for survivors of complex trauma. Featuring bright colors and textures, their art has been featured in 35 states and sold to patrons from around the globe.
