Learning Through Art: S:US Day Habilitation Programs Visit The Jewish Museum
Staff and people served by S:US.
In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, participants and staff from Services for the UnderServed (S:US)’s Day Habilitation Programs supporting people with intellectual/developmental disabilities visited The Jewish Museum for a private guided tour and art activity in New York City, NY.
The focus of our visit was to view works by female Jewish artists to explore and celebrate their vision and cultural heritage. The first artwork that our tour included was called Blue Burst Fan, a vibrant acrylic and fabric collage on a canvas created by Miriam Shapiro. Rachel Alban, The Jewish Museum’s Arts Educator, encouraged the group to notice the importance of the patterns, decorations and movement woven into the colorful collage representing a fan. Participants chose swatches of material to help identify materials and colors used within the artwork. The second piece of artwork viewed was called Cow, an abstract painting using oil, acrylic and beeswax created by Ilana Savdie. Ms. Savdie, inspired by the cow yoga pose which she practices, incorporated abstract bold brushstrokes of paint representing torsos and limbs to emphasize the placelessness that she felt as a female Jewish artist raised in Colombia, but with a family ancestry from 5 different countries. Paint swatches were circulated among participants to help identify the various colors used to create the painting.
Diane, a participant from the Bronx, expressed, “Everything is so pretty. I haven’t been to an art museum in a long time and I like it!”
Gabe, a participant from Brooklyn, shared, “I liked the ornaments in gold and silver and the sculptures.”
Valerie, another participant from Brooklyn, reflected, “It was beautiful, so beautiful – the colors in the cow painting and the fan collage. I liked comparing the paint swatches to the artwork – finding the colors that matched. It was my first time I ever went to an art museum. I would like to go again and to more art museums!”
By opening the door to new cultural experiences, trips like this help S:US Day Habilitation Program participants build confidence, expand their interests, and stay connected to the vibrant communities around them.
