March 16, 2023 By CDHD 2023 artAbility Showcase: April 17 The annual artAbility Showcase is coming! The inclusive art event will cap off another exciting year of workshops for the artAbility Project. We’re looking forward to celebrating all the local artists and their artwork. In preparation, we sat down with Project Coordinator Areli Morfin to talk about the upcoming Showcase and what to expect … Hello, Areli! We’ll start off with a couple of easy questions. Give us the essential details – when is the Showcase and where will it be held? Areli: Sure! The showcase will take place on Monday, April 17 from 5-7 pm PT at the 1912 Center in Moscow. It will be in the Great Room. For those that may be new to the area, or not completely familiar with the Showcase, tell me a little bit more about what the artAbility Showcase is. Areli: Each year the CDHD hosts an annual event where artists are able to showcase their artwork, or do a performance, from the workshops they participated in throughout the year. The artAbility Showcase provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to display and sell their artwork to the community. It also creates a memorable experience because the artists are able to engage and interact with community members, families and friends. That’s great! And how many artists will have their work displayed at this year’s event? Areli: We are showcasing 20 artists and 63 art pieces. What can attendees expect to see and do when they come to the Showcase? Areli: When attendees walk in, they will be greeted and handed programs with information about the artAbility, the artists and the artwork. Then they will be able to walk around and view the different artwork the artists have created during the workshops. There will also be artwork for sale! There will be a sales table where attendees can purchase artwork and art notecards featuring work from the different artists. There will also be a live music performance! Oh, it sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun for artists and attendees! Is there going to be anything new or special about this year’s event? This year the focus was to reuse recycled materials to reduce waste. Also, I wanted artists to create art in a way that strays away from techniques and perfectionism. It was all about creating art in a more freely expressive way that is stressless, creative and fun. We also contracted with Dr. Lori Conlon Khan and two University of Idaho students at the Lionel Hampton school of Music. The students and Lori are teaching participants about percussion and incorporating dance. They will be holding a music performance at this year’s Showcase, where artists will perform what they have learned during the music workshops. What are you looking forward to the most about this year’s showcase? I’m really looking forward to seeing community members, CDHD staff, artists and their families come together to celebrate the event. I’m excited for everyone to see the Live music performance that artAbility participants have worked really hard on! It really sounds like a lot of fun. And, is this your final year as Project Coordinator of artAbility? Yes, this is my last year as Project Coordinator. What has been your favorite part of coordinating this project? My favorite part of coordinating the project was being involved in planning and organizing the workshops. I loved coming up with ideas for the next artAbility workshops and I really enjoyed interacting and seeing all the participants’ artwork. Everyone in this community is supportive and willing to explore new things when it comes to art! It has been a great experience being involved in artAbility. Do you have a favorite memory? My favorite memory is the Cyanotype workshop. This was the first workshop I hosted as the artAbility Coordinator with a fellow coworker Sukha Worob. It is my favorite memory because it was the first in-person workshop we did since COVID, and also it was my first time seeing what artAbility all is about. Thank you, Areli for your time. It sounds like it’s going to be another fantastic event! Come and celebrate the artists and their work. Please also join us in thanking Areli for her hard work and dedication to this project. We know it’s going to be a lot of fun for everyone. See you on April 17 at the 1912 Center!