El Reno Tribune

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2015
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Lisa Robinson, director of The Big Swanky Art Show, provides guidance to
artists as they prepare for their upcoming show.

The artwork of autism

The Big Swanky Art Show to feature works of 12 artists with disabilities
OKLAHOMA CITY
Youth and Family
Services Inc. (YFS),
in partnership with
AutismOklahoma,
will sponsor The Big
Swanky Art Show, a
collaborative art show
for artists with autism.
The show will feature

the work of 12 emerging artists from the

autism community.
The Big Swanky Art
Show will be hosted at
Rainbow Fleet Child
Care Resource and
Referral in the Paseo
Arts District on Friday,
Aug. 7 from 6 to 9 p.m.

as part of the First

Friday Gallery Walk.
The show is funded, in
part, by a grant from
the Oklahoma Arts
Council.
The Big Swanky
Art Show serves as a
Continued to ART, Page 5A

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El Reno Tribune

Art

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means to engage,
develop and celebrate
artistic talents in the
autism community.
The art show is preceded by a six-day art
camp where the entire
collection is created
under the guidance of
four local professional
artists.
Experiences like this
are important because
people with autism
often have limited
opportunities to explore
their interests, said Dee

Blose, YFS executive

director.
Were attempting to
create an environment
where natural talents
and interests are paired
with the right supports
and opportunities for a
person with autism to
thrive. A medium like
art can overcome any
disability.
Three Canadian
County artists will be
taking part in the show,
David Blose, Chris Hicks
and Allie Jelinek.

This is a one-of-akind experience for

everyone involved, says
Melinda Lauffenburger,
AutismOklahoma
executive director.
This years show is
under the direction of
Lisa Robinson, visual
artist from the Fine Arts
Institute of Edmond.
This show includes
some unique and
different collaborative
art projects. It has been
so much fun to work
with each of the artists

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.

and see them grow in

skills and confidence
through this experience, says Robinson.
Youth and Family
Services Inc. is a 501(c)3
charity providing
programs to serve youth
in Canadian, Blaine,
Kingfisher and
Oklahoma counties.
More than 2,600
individuals receive help
from YFS annually.
More information about
YFS can be found at
www.yfsok.org.