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This spring we are welcoming intern Sona Santry to the Art Possible Ohio team. She has been researching and writing about artists and advocates with disabilities so that we can share their stories and experiences more broadly. We tend to teach and talk about the same artists in our museums and classrooms. What if instead…

Post By Sona Santry, Art Possible Ohio Intern All images from Jen White-Johnson at https://jenwhitejohnson.com People of color and people with disabilities are two groups that are both incredibly underrepresented in modern media. Jen White-Johnson aims to fix this and much more. She is an Art Educator and Activist, photographer, and Assistant Professor of Graphic…

2020 was a year to remember! Though last year had its very real challenges, we are proud to share with you our 2020 Art Possible Ohio Annual Report.  It’s a new year with new possibilities and we’re here for it! We’re glad you are too. 

If you are looking for something to do with your kiddos for the remainder of winter break, check out this art making video tutorial with teaching artist Lori Esposito and her “studio assistant” Arlo. This painting shows you how to make a landscape painting of snow people with Q-tips. The Q-tip is a stamp that…

We want to thank Matt and Nicolette for so generously sharing their film Those Who Spring of Me with us. We had a fantastic turn out for the virtual film screening and the talk back and a big part of that is thanks to our local media outlets and their stellar coverage. Check out these…

At Art Possible Ohio we are wrapping up 2020 and looking forward to 2021. While 2020 posed a lot of challenges it also opened up a lot of dialogue and discussion. We are all about dialogue and discussion! It is how we learn, grow, develop empathy, and become better and stronger for one another. One…

The Columbus Dispatch featured friends of the organization Matt and Nicolette Swift this weekend for their film Those Who Spring of Me. Matt and Nicolette are film makers and teaching artists who have been involved with Art Possible Ohio for several years. You can read the article by Peter Tonguette by clicking here. Art Possible…

Art Possible Ohio is thrilled to welcome Mikayla Moore to the team. Mikayla is a fourth-year senior at The Ohio State University majoring in Arts Management with minors in Nonprofit Management and Music, Media, & Enterprise. Hailing from Mississippi and Indiana, she has always participated and advocated for the arts. Her particular passion is the…

Accessible Expressions Ohio is one of the most diverse art exhibits on display. It is an adjudicated, statewide exhibition and tour of sixty 2D and 3D art by Ohio artists with disabilities. Artists of any age, living in Ohio, with a disability may enter in the Youth, Emerging, or Professional categories. AEO raises awareness by…

AJ Vanderelli is a longtime friend and advocate for Art Possible Ohio. She is also incredibly cool and kind and a formidable opponent in the Artist Wrestling League. Megan interviewed her as a part of our series of posts about Accessible Expressions Ohio. Who are you/What do you do?  Aj Vanderelli. I am an artist,…

Art Possible Ohio’s mission is to work with artists of all ages who have disabilities, to make arts and cultural experiences more accessible and inclusive. We strongly recognize the intersectionality of race and disability. We believe that racism is a public health crisis that deeply intersects with our mission. We are an anti-racist organization, and we…

The Accessible Expressions Ohio 2020 Online Exhibition has been a success in every way imaginable. Out of 120 entries, 62 selected pieces stole our hearts through their originality, creativity, poignancy, darkness, lightness, joy, and sorrow. Of the 62, ten were selected as first, second, or third place winners in the categories of youth artist, emerging…

Shelbi T. Harris-Roseboro is a seasoned professional with more than a decade of experience as both an entrepreneur and exhibiting artist. Shelbi is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Graphic Design and then went on to earn her Masters in Public Administration from Valdosta State University….

Jacquie Sochacki-Pittman is a teaching artist at New Albany schools. She is a dance researcher, choreographer and educator currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Dance Studies at The Ohio State University. She has created online lessons to keep her students moving. Click here to visit Jacquie’s website. This 25 minute dance class is done…

Adaptation, Integration, and the Arts (AIA) uses arts integration and collaboration to improve student success, educator development, and school engagement. The program partners teaching artists and classroom educators for creative residencies in inclusive classrooms. This program is made possible through funding from the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children, and a contract for…

Barbara Ery is a teaching artist in south eastern Ohio with the Carlton School. This activity can be expanded to include a variety of materials and designs. This activity is a paper quilt inspired by artist Faith Ringgold. Talk about things you like to do with your family. Is there a favorite trip or place you remember? Faith…

Hello! My name is Angelica Bell and I am a dance educator/teaching artist. I am the Artistic Director of a non-profit dance studio in Southeast Ohio called Factory Street Studio, and an Art Possible Ohio teacher at the Carleton School! I want to “pull back the curtain” and share the ways I have adapted my…

Jacquie Sochacki-Pittman is a teaching artist at New Albany schools. She is a dance researcher, choreographer and educator currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Dance Studies at The Ohio State University. She has created online lessons to keep her students moving. Click here to visit Jacquie’s website. This 20 minute dance class includes a…

Art Possible Ohio is proud to be a partner on Ohio’s statewide teaching artist roster. We get to work with our best buddies – the Ohio Arts Council, Center for Arts Inspired Learning, OhioDance, and Ohio Alliance for Arts Education to bring together Ohio’s rock star teaching artists in one digital location. Are you a…

First things first, I have to humble brag that I was able to figure out how to set up totally legit e-commerce site through our Square account! More importantly, the site allows us to launch something that has been many years in the making. We have officially launched a membership program for Art Possible Ohio!…

Kelsey Griest is a teaching artist working at the Ewing School in Marietta, Ohio. This lesson is easy to do with materials around the house and has the potential to keep students (and grown-ups) busy for hours. Hi everybody! I want to start by saying how much I miss seeing every student in class on Fridays….

Art Possible Ohio has a fantastic partnership with the Ohio Arts Council across several programs. We are especially proud of the Ohio Arts Council’s Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP). ADAP provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities and organizations that serve them the resources they need to further their artistic development. The spring…

Krate Digga is a teaching artist at Parkmoor Elementary. This year he worked with kindergarten students. This is a DIY/crafts project that requires minimal supplies. Hopefully things that can all be found already at home.

At Red Oak Community School, the Egrets, grade 3 – 5, were learning the History of Protest Music.  When most people think of protest songs, they usually think of songs that say “no” and highlight areas of human interaction that are not positive. I believe that sometimes the best protest songs are actually songs that…

Krate Digga is a teaching artist at Parkmoor Elementary. This year he worked with kindergarten students. This is a drum/percussion exercise that doesn’t require any of the instruments usually used in class so students can practice rhythm anywhere.

Candace Mazur Darman is a teaching artist currently working with the Ohio State School for the Blind and A.G. Bell. She is a poet, performer, and artist. Here is an activity she put together for spring time. This activity is based on book This Is The Nest that Robin Built by Denise Fleming. Engineer a…

Joanna Johns is a teaching artist at Forest Rose school in Lancaster, Ohio. She teaches children’s yoga and mindfulness and is a certified children’s yoga teacher (6 weeks ~ teens), including yoga for children with special needs, parent and baby yoga, children’s yoga therapy, and Trauma Informed Teaching Practices. She holds a 200 hr yoga…

Kate Aumuller is a teaching artist at Bridgeway Academy. She and her students explored cells and biology through art making. She has been making dragon eggs since the stay at home order. Here is the first of two lessons for making dragon eggs. The clay is also gluten free! How to make air-dry clay (no…

Ohio Citizens for the Arts has recently released a 7 Days of Support Campaign to “bring a little light to Ohio’s arts community.” Calls to action include purchasing a membership to your favorite cultural organization, donating a theatre ticket, supporting gig artists through online sales, etc. Among others, I decided to respond to Day #6’s call to…

Life is really intense right now! Our 17 year old daughter looked up from her phone last night and said wistfully, “I was supposed to get my nails done for prom today.” It broke my heart a little. Her dress is hanging in its garment bag and her shoes are in my closet waiting indefinitely…

Kris Kiko Cozy is a teaching artist based in Canton, Ohio. Her classes combine visual arts, music, movement, mindfulness practice, story-telling, and performance. In order to stay in touch and engaged with her students during the school closure she (with the help of her tech savvy husband) set up a YouTube channel. This set of…

Barbara Ery is a teaching artist in south eastern Ohio with the Carlton School. This activity can be expanded to include a variety of materials and designs. First thing you do is gather tools. As you can see I gathered lots of stuff. Then ask in adult to copy your drawing on heavy cardboard stock and cut…

When I was approached with a job opportunity from Art Possible as a sophomore in college, I was astounded and grateful for the opportunity, while at the same time scared out of my mind. I knew that my resume was not long. The main thing I could bring to the table was experience I gained…

Shannon Thacker-Cregg is an artist and arts professional based in Columbus, Ohio. She recently completed her Masters Thesis at the Ohio State University in the Department of Arts Policy and Administration. Shannon has worked at Open Door Studio and the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) and is an intern at Art Possible Ohio. This post…

Accessible Expressions Ohio has gone digital this year and you can check it out on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Megan, our maven of all things programs e-interviewed one of this year’s exhibition judges, longtime Art Possible Ohio artist and friend, Cody Miller. Miller’s work has been shown in numerous exhibits, such as “Havana/ConnectArt” in Matanzas,…

Jacquie Sochacki-Pittman is a teaching artist at New Albany schools. She is a dance researcher, choreographer and educator currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Dance Studies at The Ohio State University. She has created online lessons to keep her students moving. Click here to visit Jacquie’s website. This 15 minute video is the…

Joanna Johns is a teaching artist at Forest Rose school in Lancaster, Ohio. She teaches children’s yoga and mindfulness. She is a certified children’s yoga teacher (6 weeks ~ teens), including yoga for children with special needs, parent and baby yoga, children’s yoga therapy, and Trauma Informed Teaching Practices. She also holds a 200 hr…

Barbara Ery is a teaching artist in south eastern Ohio with the Carlton School. This is a lesson she designed to review patterns and the elements of art with her students. Let’s start out by doing the hand symbols and words for the elements of art. Line (arms crossed and one arm straight up) Shape…

This post contains grown-up content about mental health. It also contains some strategies for modeling mental health and self-care with young ones. I am taking a quick break from distance learning today to check in with everyone. How are you? Seriously, how are you? I received an email today from ADAMH, the Alcohol, Drug, and…

Hello! My name is Angelica Bell and I am a dance educator/teaching artist. I am the Artistic Director of a non-profit dance studio in Southeast Ohio called Factory Street Studio, and an Art Possible Ohio teacher at the Carleton School! I want to “pull back the curtain” and share the ways I have adapted my…

Lori Esposito is a teaching artist based in Athen’s Ohio at Beacon School. This video was initially created for the Beacon School students and teachers. Focusing on our breath can help us feel calmer. 1. Collect small and light items from around your home; seeds, beads, colorful cut up pieces of paper or ribbon. 2….

This past year I have had the privilege of teaching the History of Protest Music and ukulele to grades 3 – 5 at the Red Oak Community School, with the support of Art Possible Ohio. Now of course, we are learning online, and here is Ukulele Lesson #2.  The History of Protest Music would not…

Hello! My name is Angelica Bell and I am a dance educator/teaching artist. I am the Artistic Director of a non-profit dance studio in Southeast Ohio called Factory Street Studio, and an Art Possible Ohio teacher at the Carleton School! I want to “pull back the curtain” and share the ways I have adapted my…

Joanna Johns is a teaching artist at Forest Rose school in Lancaster, Ohio. Click here to read more about her on her website Explore Me a Story My name is Joanna.  I am a mother and an experienced educator, having taught on both sides of the pond!  I have been teaching young children for 20…

Megan and I (your Art Possible Ohio staff) are both parents too. I asked one of our kiddos to help me out with some blog posts by reading and writing some book reviews. Here is a review of a book board member Amy Ranalli shared with us. Author Amy Webb is from Ohio! I’m Emily…

Hello! My name is Angelica Bell and I am a dance educator/teaching artist. I am the Artistic Director of a non-profit dance studio in Southeast Ohio called Factory Street Studio, and an Art Possible Ohio teacher at the Carleton School! I want to “pull back the curtain” and share the ways I have adapted my…

I am, and have always been, a teacher and a performer who creates opportunities for interaction with my class and/or audience.  As a teacher I almost always invite my students to come to the floor and sit in a circle with me.  As a performer, I’ve never enjoyed being up on a stage, far away…

Andrew Protopapas is a teaching artist at Parkmoor Elementary School in Columbus, Ohio. He has shared some of the recordings he has been using with students to practice their play. Several weeks back, I recorded videos of me doing the hand motions to our songs and sent those to the teachers so that they could…

Kelsey Griest is a teaching artist working at the Ewing School in Marietta, Ohio. This lesson is easy to do with materials around the house and has the potential to keep students (and grown-ups) busy for hours. How to make a multi-media collage using supplies from home! What you will need: Glue Scissors Photos, Magazines…

Lori Esposito is a teaching artist based in Athen’s Ohio at Beacon School. I am a teaching artist, and my son and created this seed pot demonstration using materials from around the house. This video was initially created for the Beacon School students and teachers so they could prepare their greenhouse for harvesting herbs without…

Kris Kiko Cozy is a teaching artist based in Canton, Ohio. Her classes combine visual arts, music, movement, mindfulness practice, story-telling, and performance. In order to stay in touch and engaged with her students during the school closure she (with the help of her tech savvy husband) set up a YouTube channel. When I first…

How to begin? Things are scary right now and all of us are trying to gain some footing. Here is what we have been up to. What We are Doing at Art Possible Ohio Megan and I are working from home. We are visiting the office once a week or less to get mail. We…

I am working from home today on the fourth day of the new normal. I am sitting at the desk that my partner Ryan helped me haul upstairs to our bedroom so I would have a quiet spot while our three kids are home from school. We are navigating the uncharted waters of a global…

Disability culture has improved thousandfold since the early days of institutions and sheltered workshops. Growing up, for me, it wasn’t uncommon to see “Handicapped Parking” signs everywhere. The latter term has thankfully become antiquated. We now see a shift from seeing disability rights as privilege, to seeing disability rights as human rights owed the same…

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” — Isaac Newton in 1675 Expression is conveying ones thoughts or feelings. Art is the earliest known way, predating even spoken languages and ancient cultures. Whatever media we use in art whether it be a paintbrush or our own body, it…

What does it mean to have a “disability identity”? Put simply, it means to have a disability as part of who you are. Usually, when able-bodied people think of the word disability, it means only what a person “can’t do”. This is what we’re trying to change. We wish disability to be associated with a…