Dan's Papers - June 6, 2008

Where else besides museums such as the Louvre, MoMA or the Guggenheim can you view artwork from around the world, and around the corner? Go no farther than Gallery BelAge in Westhampton Beach. This Saturday will mark the opening reception for the "Breaking the Walls of Bias: Art by Survivors Exhibition," featuring pieces from the Netherlands, Kosovo, Bosnia, Brazil, Guatemala, Vietnam, Canada, Delaware, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Virginia, New Jersey, Manhattan, Cutchogue, Quogue and East Hampton.

At the reception, which begins at 6 p.m., Ryan Horn from County Legislator Jay Schneiderman's office will present the gallery with an official award for its philanthropic contribution to the community. Unlike other gallery openings, this Saturday will not be the only celebration - on June 14 from 6-9 p.m., the North Sea Poetry Scene will contribute poetry and perform readings, and on June 22, actress Cathy Moriarty-Gentile (Raging Bull, Analyze That, Soap Dish), who is the spokesperson for autism.org, will moderate an Educational Panel Discussion with participants including AHRC Nassau, Best Buddies (Maria Shriver's baby), Theresa Foundation, Eric and Hedy Page and Barbara Fischkin.

Moriarty-Gentile said, "I'm so proud to be a part of this. The show is from the heart. There's so much talent and you can see there's something more behind these pieces of artwork. There's a whole different energy." She added that she's thrilled to be on the panel because helping others is one of her true passions, and said, "All the participants, whether they are raising awareness for autism or abuse, are so much stronger when they join forces. There's strength in numbers. It's all about helping each other."

Artist Georgia O' Keeffe once said, "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for." Co-curator Candyce Brokaw of Quogue, who founded the Survivors Art Foundation (SAF) in 1997, wholly understands this sentiment. Brokaw turned to writing, painting and drawing to help deal with personal and powerful issues of abuse, and dedicated SAF to encouraging healing through the arts - committed to empowering trauma survivors with expressive outlets via outreach programs, national exhibitions and publications. Some of SAF's goals include providing entertainment, education and exposure to the arts through public awareness in the hopes of eradicating abuse and creating an atmosphere of acceptance for survivors with disabilities. In a time when we watch others pain exposed via reality television shows and the gossipy corners of the Internet, it's refreshing to know and understand how real people deal with the tender and often painful aspects of life.

SAF has received many awards and grants since its inception, including a Computerworld Smithsonian Laureate for its impact on humanity through technology and the arts. Brokaw said, "I'm so excited to share this inspiring art exhibition with the East End community. It's entertaining and educational, but it's also something that will inspire and perhaps shed a new light and nurture many souls."

Robert Deets, director of Galerie BelAge, curated the show with Brokaw and is the mastermind behind the show's flow and space, which includes over 100 paintings, sculptures, multi-media and video works by artists of every social circumstance. Aside from high-end pieces of raw expression submitted by both young children and adults, this show runs the gamut - there's everything from realism, sculpture, abstract art and even a painting made in 3-D with the glasses to make it pop. Deets added, "It's important to bring the diversity of their art and experience to the East End to create greater public awareness about the triumphs of survivors."

There's an incredible array of trained and self-taught art in all media, but the common thread is that all the artists overcame a disability or trauma and have used art as a way to heal, as a means of survival. Each survivor has a story, and many are incredibly inspiring.

Hedy (Pagremanski) Page is an artist who was born in Vienna, Austria in 1929 and narrowly escaped the Holocaust. She is a resident of Long Beach and her work is displayed in the Museum of the City of New York among other venues. Another artist, David Joel of East Hampton, just had his 20-foot mural installed in a West Village restaurant. He is a survivor of testicular cancer and an activist in awareness of this disease. Another artist is 14-year-old Fahiym Williams of Uniondale, who has autism and the gift to draw anything, mostly people in sports and public figures, exactly as they are - rich in detail, like a photograph. Williams is the official artist for the Developmental Disability Institute of Suffolk County's annual fundraiser. And the list goes on.

Although hailing from all corners of the globe, the artwork acts as a common language for these survivors and it speaks as a true testament for humanity and the remarkable will of the human spirit. For more information, visit www.survivorsartfoundation.org and www.galeriebelage.com.