"Art and Ability" is the focus of an exhibit at the highly-regarded Martin Lawrence Galleries in Dalls, Texas and includes some of the works of Tampa Bay artists Jack "Mr B." Beverland and Susan Kubes.
The exhibit opened on August 12th and runs through August 26th and highlights the creative talents of fifty-seven so called "disabled" artists from nine states, including Florida. Besides being from the Sunshine State, Mr. Beverland and Ms. Kubes represent VSA Florida, The State Organization on Arts and Disability (VSA Florida.)
VSA Florida provides arts, education and cultural opportunities by and for people with disabilities. It was founded in 1981 and is a member of VSA, the International organization on arts and disability, which is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing arts. VSA Florida provides these opportunities through a network of program partners in every Florida county. In 2008-2009, VSA Florida programs in inclusive settings directly served 35,000 students with disabilities and 250,000 other participants through 208 different programs.
During the two weeks of the exhibit, what is revealed to visitors of the gallery is that a person's disability can motivate them to develop latent talents and to become, at that point, an artist. These artists, who may experience life challenges such as autism, paralysis, blindness, physical disorders, mental illness or other conditions which pose a challenge for them to overcome, express emotions which are common to the human condition, such as joy, frustration, self-perception, love, simplicity, complexity, domesticity, camaraderie, confusion, tranquility, agitation, et cetera.
Through perseverance, Tampa Bay artists Jack Beverland, or "Mr. B." as he is known around here, and Susan Kubes demonstrate the abilities that have brought them to this point.
Mr. B. is a folk artist who is completely self-taught. He first comes up with a title which then creates a scene in his imagination. Even though his art is not from memory, it often illustrates a more placid period in our history.
Mr. B. says that he inhabits each painting and thereby releases himself from the pressures of our current day-to-day life. He uses thick acrylic paint to create texture and this makes his paintings inviting to the touch. Through the use of phosphorescent paint he gets some additional enjoyment out of his work. He also includes an image of himself in all of his paintings, along with animals of all shapes and sizes. Art patrons love to study his paintings to find the gray-haired artist with a beard.
Mr. B. is very pleased to see people view his paintings and observe them being transported into his world.
Artist Susan Kubes is a retired Space Systems electronics inspector who relatively late in life turned to her life-long passion, painting, and became a full-time artist. She, like Mr. B., is largely self-taught, but she has been fortunate enough to learn from mentors she encountered along the way.
After creating realistic paintings for over forty years, she has recently started experimenting with various techniques which increase the speed at which she paints and allows her more freedom to "capture the joy of the moment in more impressionistic paintings or abstract images."
Ms. Kubes' inspiration comes from Florida's natural beauty and from sights she has seen in all parts of the world. She also uses her Technicolor dreams in her paintings, often waking up to capture these images while they are still fresh in her mind. Considering these to be gifts, she arises "to give thanks to the Giver."
Paradoxically, as time passes and Ms. Kubes' body slows her down, she finds that she has more energy and desire and need to paint. Unexpectedly, she sometimes does her best work when she is physically at her worst.She feels a strong sense of purpose that keeps her going and more and more opportunities keep presenting themselves to her.
Ms. Kubes would eventually like to combine her love for children with her commitment to art.
Both Mr. B. and Ms. Kubes are members of VSA Florida and are listed on their artists registry.
Ms. Kubes credits VSA Florida with turning her life around completely. She has been in numerous art shows and exhibits at the University of South Florida, had a one-person show at the Open Door Gallery and shown work at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg and many other venues. Because of her success with VSA Florida, she has been with the Tampa Artist Emporium in Old Hyde Park Village for over a year.
Her work has appeared in numerous publications and she now has an art and jewelry shop called "My Favorite Things" on Main Street in Dunedin.
Ms. Kubes says,"Two years ago, I could never in my wildest dreams have imagined that all this could be happening at this stage in my life and health. VSA Florida has made all of this possible for me in so many ways. They have given me assistance, hope and direction." She's still looking to the future as a great adventure. "Meanwhile, I'm having the time of my life doing what I had always wanted to do--painting!"
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