Ann Arbor Autism Foundation
Join Us at the Hands On Museum April 24th!
On Friday, April 24, 2009 The Ann Arbor Autism Foundation will present the southeastern Michigan premiere of "The Art and Life of Jessica Park", an exhibition featuring the amazing artwork of Jessica Park, a nationally recognized artist with autism. The event will take place at the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum from 6-8pm. As part of the celebration, an original painting by Ms. Park, of the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum will be unveiled to the public for the first time.
In an effort to raise money to support Washtenaw County families affected by autism, the Ann Arbor Autism Foundation will offer limited edition, signed and numbered prints of the new Hands On Museum painting for sale on the evening of April 24th.
Guests will have the opportunity to purchase the new exhibition catalog, "Exploring Nirvana: The Art of Jessica Park", a beautiful publication developed by Tony Gengarelly, PhD, and Adria A. Weatherbee and students at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Gengarelly has generously donated 50 books to our event to be sold to benefit our Foundation.
Tickets to the April 24th event are $50 per person. Send an email to: autismevent@yahoo.com and we will contact you.
About the Artist: Jessica (Jessy) Park:
Jessica (Jessy) Park was born in 1958, and currently lives and works in Williamstown, MA. The daughter of Clara and David Park, Jessy has had to contend with a lifelong struggle with autism. Jessy is the subject of two nationally recognized books by her mother Clara, The Siege and Exiting Nirvana. A primarily self-taught artist, Jessy employs unique painting techniques to create art that both exemplifies and overcomes the obstacles she faces in daily life. Her work is well-known and sought after. She is represented by Pure Vision Arts in NYC, a division of the Shield Institute.
Several years ago, Ann Arbor Autism Foundation Board Member Ann Telfer commissioned a work by Jessy, of the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum. Jessy's parents, David and Clara Park, are UM Rackham Graduates, so the idea truly excited Jessy. (Her sister was born in the old University Hospital and Jessy also wants to paint this historic image as well.) The sale of limited edition prints of the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum will be the subject of a fundraising project , which will benefit the Ann Arbor Autism Foundation.
About the Ann Arbor Autism Foundation:
The Ann Arbor Autism Foundation was founded several years ago to raise money to support families affected by autism by providing scholarships to families in need, and grants to agencies for community projects. The Foundation is an all-volunteer organization, and therefore every dollar raised goes directly into the community. In 2008, the Foundation awarded $24,150 in grants and scholarships throughout Washtenaw County. In addition to supporting children who need speech, behavior, music and occupational therapies, the Foundation has supported innovative, community-based grants. For example, we have funded parent support groups, sibling support groups, social skills classes, and a teacher-training program at Gretchen's House.
Last year, the Foundation collaborated with the Autism Society of Washtenaw to present a full day conference entitled "Autism Risk and Safety Management" with Dennis Debbaudt, a nationally recognized expert in the law enforcement field, to educate and train local police, fire and security professionals about autism and how to address emergency situations with children and adults. We had 95 professionals in law enforcement, first responders, criminal justice and care providers in attendance for the all-day conference. The evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, indicating an interest in repeated trainings. These are just a few of our grants to date.
Please consider joining us as a sponsor for our April 24th event, to support families affected by autism in Washtenaw County.
Sponsorship Levels:- $5,000 Leadership Sponsorship: 8 tickets to the April 24th event, one exhibition book, and two signed prints of the Hands On Museum
- $2,500 Patron Sponsorship: 6 tickets to the April 24th event, one exhibition book, and one signed print of the Hands On Museum
- $1,000 Friend Sponsorship: 4 tickets to the April 24th event and one signed print of the Hands On Museum
- $500 Supporter Sponsorship: 2 tickets to the April 24th event
In appreciation of your gift, the Ann Arbor Autism Foundation will:
Include your name and sponsorship level in an advertisement in the Ann Arbor News following the event
Listing in the program and on poster signage at the event
Website advertising
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