Biggs Museum of American Art’s Curator Ryan Grover was recently flipping through a pile of work to be displayed in the museum and he stopped at one, commenting that it was very Jasper Johns. The painting, done in a warm, fall palette, also incorporated a real a shirtsleeve and bottle caps.

    The Johns comparison is high praise coming from fans of the painter who influenced the Minimalism and Pop Art of the late ’50s and ’60s. It’s also a lofty appreciation considering the piece being admired was done by someone who might not even be able to tie his or her own shoes yet.

    Grover was looking at pieces submitted for the upcoming Young at Art exhibition, which debuts with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Biggs Museum of American Art. The exhibition features work by Kent County children and teens with special needs.

    Grover pointed out that everyone has the same visual vocabulary, whether it be identifying something as a landscape versus a portrait, or recognizing colors and shapes.

    “So many of those rules that we all grow up with are present in all types of art,” he said.            
The pieces range from a brightly imagined rendering of a monster eating a real Goldfish cracker to a lively homage to “Beauty and the Beast” to a number of striking self-portraits.

    “Any time the artwork of individuals with disabilities gets to be displayed and promoted and valued, it’s an important communication to the community at large that people with disabilities do have talent,” said Jennifer Gunther, executive director of VSA Arts of Delaware.

    VSA Arts of Delaware is a nonprofit arts organization that gives people with disabilities opportunities to participate and excel in performing and visual arts.

    Dr. Basilio Bautista, founder of Child HELP, was the catalyst for the project, according to Gunther. Child HELP Foundation, also a nonprofit, promotes extended health care, special education and social programs to enrich the lives of children with disabilities.

    The partnership between the Biggs, VSA and Child HELP was a natural one as their missions meshed so well, according to Biggs Marketing Coordinator Sarah DiMondi.

    Twenty of the pieces exhibited are on loan from VSA Arts, which houses its annual exhibition, Celebration of Creativity, at Delaware State University. Some pieces, such as the ones featured at the Biggs, travel within the state and regionally to hang at different venues.

    “They’re so intrigued to find their artwork on the wall,” she said of the young artists.

    While the artists can see it hanging at DSU, the upcoming exhibition may attract more public attention, Gunther said.

    VSA Arts will lend 20 framed pieces produced through two of its Artists in Residency programs that have participants learning under the tutelage of professional artists. The children participating in these programs at Lake Forest High School and Capital Preschool Early Intervention Program have learning or mobility disabilities, chronic illnesses and/or have been affected by domestic violence.

    Students from the Caesar Rodney School District also will be represented.

    The Child HELP Foundation’s artwork is by students at W.B. Simpson Elementary under the direction of Paul Cava.

    The Saturday, Sept. 20, event is open to the public.

    Email Sarika Jagtiani at sarika.jagtiani@doverpost.com

If You Go...
What: Young at Art, a celebration of artistic diversity

When: Open house for the exhibition is from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20; Young at Art will be on display through Sunday, Oct. 19

Where: Biggs Museum of American Art

Admission: Free

Information: Call 674-2111 or visit www.biggsmuseum.org