'Art Was My Communication': LI Artists Join 'Inclusive' Art Show

HUNTINGTON, NY—Long Island artists are part of a new art show that "serves as a testament to the ability of the arts to encourage accessibility and inclusion," one Long Island nonprofit that had five of its participants selected said.

The show, called artABILITY, organized by the Spirit of Huntington Art Center, is currently displaying the art work of 40 artists of varying abilities at Agora Gallery on W. 25th Street in Manhattan.

Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) headquartered in Nassau County, serves thousands of Long Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injury.

Five members of the FREE community who took art classes at Spirit of Huntington participated in the show and its opening night last week.

"These art classes provide a unique opportunity for students to enjoy a stress free, therapeutic environment that fosters creativity and self-esteem. Not only does ArtABILITY celebrate the accomplishments of the artists themselves, but it also celebrates the many nonprofit partner organizations that support their day-to-day lives and who believe in the impact the arts can have on the special needs community," FREE representatives said in a statement.

The show will run until Jan. 22, and proceeds of art sales will benefit Art Center and "its partner organizations in an effort to support the enrollment of more participants and to create similar opportunities for members of the special needs community."

The Spirit of Huntington Art Center is a non-profit organization that caters to students with special needs and veterans, providing a creative outlet for those communities.