We believe that every student, regardless of their abilities, can be actively engaged in the arts to learn new ways of expressing themselves. While great strides have been made in creating accessible art programs for students with physical disabilities, the reality is that many are still not being served. For students with significantly limited mobility, and especially those who are non-verbal or minimally verbal, there are few opportunities to meaningfully engage in the arts.
In order to help close this gap, Marquis Studios is proud to offer Beam to Brush, an accessible visual arts residency adapted from the Laser Painting Program. The Laser Painting Program was developed in 2014 by Deborah Dawson, who is currently employed as a part-time Teaching Artist with Marquis Studios, and Kathy London, former Arts Director for NYC DOE District 75 schools. Beam to Brush uses assistive technology to allow students with limited mobility to experience the joy of painting.
How Does It Work?
Students in Beam to Brush programs work 1-on-1 with a trained Teaching Artist to make and communicate all the artistic decisions for their work. Once the student’s specific physical challenges and preferred communication methods have been assessed, the Beam to Brush TA develops a painting approach to meet their needs. Students are able to use a laser light attached to either a headband or glove to point directions onto a canvas. The TA functions as a neutral tool, using a paint brush to follow all of the student’s laser light movements. The student painter makes all decisions during the painting session from selecting the brush size and paint color to determining where the brush stroke begins and ends.
In addition to increasing access for an historically under-served population, Marquis Studios provides participants with new avenues to engage with those around them, from teachers and therapists to peers and the community at large. Student painters have displayed their work at the Studio Museum in Harlem, Pratt Institute and other local arts venues, as well as throughout their schools.
Beam to Brush is supported by generous funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), the Emily Davie and Joseph S. Kornfeld Foundation and our loyal donors.
Beam to Brush is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council.
