Through Jimmy's Eyes

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

What's in a Signature?

Bobiam Gallery Uptown Minneapolis
Minnesota - Exhibition April 2013

On Sunday April 7^th, 2013 Bobiam Gallery in Minneapolis hosted a reception for Jimmy. He is exhibiting at the gallery for the month of April. Several years ago, Jimmy was invited to be one of Bobiam’s first T-Shirt artists. Last fall, Bill Farrell from Bobiam asked if Jimmy would consider an exhibition in their Minneapolis Gallery.

Bobiam - 2nd floor Lagoon and Hennepin
Minneapolis, Minnesota

We agreed and decided that April would be the right time. I didn’t think about it until later that April is Autism Awareness month and April 2^nd is designated by the United Nations as World Autism Day. So, April is a good month for Jimmy to show his work.

Goodbye Ron - on exhibition
at the Good Purpose Gallery
Lee, MA April and May 2013

He is also exhibiting in Lee Massachusetts in April and May at the Good Purpose Gallery and will have his painting Maggie Live Auctioned on April 28^th to raise money for the University of St Thomas Scholarship fund.

The Bobiam reception was attended by a nice sized crowd….some folks I knew and many that I did not. Jimmy’s speech pathologist from elementary school was in attendance. She is a very skilled and open minded woman whom I’ve always respected. She worked with Jimmy when we were full of hope that he would recover his language. She walked through the Gallery surprised and enjoying Jimmy’s work. She and I were talking in front of one of his paintings and she remarked “look at his signature. It’s the same as

it was when I worked with him.” She paused in thought…..what are we teaching? She and I remember regular discussions with school staff about the importance of using upper and lower case letters….working on cursive….does it really matter? No, it doesn’t. Was making sure that Jimmy capitalized letters properly or learned cursive helping him to communicate? The question might be where should we focus our time and spend our resources? What tools should measure success? What goals are important? What will create future value?

Man with Pipe - signature on face

Dad signature in the eye

Jimmy’s signature in his artwork is unique in the color he signs in and the locations where he signs…..To those of us in the mainstream, his signature is present in very curious locations like in the eye of a subject as in his piece titled Dad or on the face as in Man with Pipe or in a vase of flowers as in

Dr Barnes - can you see the
signature in the flowers?

Dr. Barnes. To Jimmy, these locations make perfect sense. To many of the rest of us…..shouldn’t it be in the lower right or left corners? Isn’t that what we were taught?

Last year, I received a call from a man who had attended WineFest, the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital event where Jimmy had been the Featured Artist. This fellow runs a division of a large national company in the Twins Cities. When he called, he told me that he was driving to work one day and saw the WineFest billboard that had Jimmy’s painting Café at Night on it.

Cafe at Night - University of Minnesota
Amplatz Children's Hopsital
WineFest No 17
Featured Artist

He noted the artwork and wanted to know who the artist was…..he loved the painting. So, he googled WineFest to see the painting in full view. He thought….now that is an interesting signature?????It looks so different….perhaps, child like yet the painting is so sophisticated and full of vibrant color. So, he googled Jimmy……and learned about the artist. He attended WineFest and was struck by both Jimmy’s artwork and his challenges. It was the art and Jimmy’s unique signature that attracted this man’s attention. This experience had

Jimmy Reagan on the roof top of Seven
restaurant in Downtown Minneapolis
with one of his billboards.

such a profound impact on this man that he asked me to come and talk with some of his employees. It opened his eyes to something totally unexpected and valuable.

So….what’s in a signature? Changing minds and attitudes? I hope so. What does Jimmy’s signature say about him? Who he is? He is an artist? He doesn’t see life in a conventional way and that’s okay……in fact, it’s beautiful and valuable.

Jimmy Reagan with Target Corp employees
at Sunfish Cellars for Jimmy's Erik's Minnesota
Adventures tour.
Coloring contest winner selection

Jimmy’s artwork with his unique signature has raised over $25,000 this year for organizations in the Twins Cities.

What’s in your signature?

www.bobiam.com

http://www.bvpac.org/good-purpose-gallery/

www.thewinefest.org

www.eriksranch.org

Saturday, February 16, 2013

What Speaks to You

Goodbye Ron -24"x30" Acrylic on Canvas 2012
This painting will be on display in Lee, MA from
April 5th to May 26th at the Good Purpose Gallery

I love the Pier One commercial where the woman walks through the store and different items in the store talk to her. Of course, no one else can hear what is speaking to her. Yet, she finds simple joy from the experience and surprise at finding what speaks to hear. This made me think about what speaks to me and how this commercial illustrates something bigger.

For those managing autism, using the word “speaks” can be frightening - since by definition autism is a communication disorder. To some extent, all of us struggle to speak, communicate and find our voice. Perhaps, we should think of this less as a deficiency and more of a wonderful lifelong challenge in efforts to learn, grow and experience life to our fullest capacity.

Girl from Egypt - 24"x30" Acrylic on Canvas 2012

I was recently reminded that we all start as a blank slate not knowing what speaks to us except the cuddles and comfort of those that care for us in our newborn helpless state. Our dear friend Jaci gave birth to twin girls last week. Jaci cared for our five kids and worked with Jimmy for many years. Before the babies were born last week, Jaci sent me a text hoping that “ the girls would pack their bags and come home”. I chuckled understanding that a full term pregnant mom with twins will be happy to deliver her babies and be able to tie her own shoes again. I reminded her that the girls won’t be bringing bags…they’ll show up naked, without money, instruction book or means to shares their needs and desires.…they are a clean slate full love for those that gave them life. As humans, we develop our voice over time and our voice is influenced by many experiences. We learn what speaks to us as we become exposed to the world and develop a taste for life. We learn what speaks to us with the help of those around us.

Elizabeth diptych with Jim - 16"x20"
Acryllc on Canvas 2012
Will be on display in Lee MA
at the
Good Purpose Gallery from
April 5th through
May 26th, 2013

Jim diptych with Elizabeth- 16"x20"
Acrylic on Canvas 2012
Will be on display in Lee MA
at the
Good Purpose Gallery from
April 5th through
May 26th, 2013

For people with autism, finding words and speaking is a challenge. But, that doesn’t mean that finding what speaks to them doesn’t or won’t happen. People frequently ask me how I found Jimmy’s love/talent for art? I didn’t. He did. All I did was be open to the suggestion of someone else. Jimmy’s tutor, Pat Pendelton asked, “I have a friend who is an artist and is interested in kids with autism, would you be open to her working with Jimmy.” My response, “sure.” Why not? Boy, that was hard. I truly believe, that sometimes, solutions/opportunities are simple and in plane sight.

I am grateful that Jimmy is pursuing something he clearly loves and finds motivating. I have often thought, what happens if he decides that he doesn’t want to produce art any more? What will he do? How will he feel? How will I feel? Art has given him opportunities that are truly meaningful in so many ways and it is a big part of our lives these days. Well, I’m not going to panic cause that could happen and I have no control over Jimmy’s desire to create art no more than I have control over my other kids choices. So, I will do my best to expose him to new things that he might find interesting that captures his attention. I try to do the same thing for myself in order to keep motivated…try new things, be open and grow.

Girl in India - 16"x20" Acrylic on Canvas 2013

I hoped for many years that Jimmy would be “normal.” I have changed my thoughts on the word “normal.” Normal as defined by Webster “conforming to the standard or the common type”. Hummm….that doesn’t sound too interesting does it? Conforming to a standard. Maybe normal is actually boredom and lack of interest. Perhaps, life might be more dynamic than “normal” full of color, challenge and change. Normal might also mean complacent. So, I’ve decided that “normal” isn’t a way I’d like Jimmy or any of my kids defined. I have hope for lives full of dynamic color, challenge and change.

Pretty Girl in Orange Dress and Pearls - 24"x36"
Acrylic on Canvas 2013
Donated to the Visitation Merrie Market for Live Auction

Maggie - 16:x20" Acrylic on Canvas 2012
Donated to the University of St. Thomas 10th Anniversary
Parent Network Scholarship Fundraiser fro Live Auction

Brian’s grandmother died shy of 105^th birthday. I adored her. She lost her hearing at age 10 – a genetic degenerative disorder. She graduated from Berkley in 1924 and received a Master in Anthropology at the U of MN. There were no hearing aids then. She learned to read lips and read voraciously. In college, she clasped a rubber paddle in her mouth during class to help her eardrums vibrate so she could pick up a few words. She never complained about losing her hearing….it didn’t define who she was although it was a part of who she was. In her late 90’s, she asked me to buy periodicals which described computers and new technology. I was somewhat surprised. She said, “ I have to read about mega bits and other things related to computers so I can do my cross word puzzles.” I thought amazing….life long learning. She was mentally engage until she was about 102 when she lost much of her eyesight affecting her ability to read text and faces. She was very connected to Jimmy and his struggles to communicate. She worried that Jimmy’s autism was related to her genetic hearing loss. I regularly assured her that I didn’t believe there was a connection. I see Jimmy much the way I viewed her. She was able to find ways to cope and over come her disability living a long, full and vibrant life. While Jimmy needs others to place opportunities in front of him, Jimmy is the one who makes the choices of what speaks to him….only he really knows.

So, finding “What Speaks to You”, can be a wonderful life long mission full of color, challenge and adventure!

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Oh, the places you can go!

Orange Cafe at Night - 16"x20"
Acrylic on Canvas 2012

Oh, the places you can go……the world has been expanded for Jimmy Reagan.

Jimmy has excelled in Geography since he was young….memorizing the states, capitols and continents with great ease. His art pieces are frequently named for places our family has travelled or places he would like to go. In recently months when we ask him were he would like to travel, he starts big….China, Japan, France, Italy, Australia…..then quickly onto every state in the US. Travelling by air to these places has never been an option for Jimmy.

We have taken many trips to Montana by car. But, Jimmy had never been on a plane. With 5 kids, flying was not our first choice for travel…too expensive and complicated. Jimmy was 8 when the tragedy of 911 occurred. After 911, flying with someone with autism just wasn’t something we would ever consider given all the difficulties of even getting on a plane. When Jimmy was diagnosed with autism the incidence was 1 in 10,000 births. In 2001, most people still believed that autism was rare. It wasn’t until 2003 that the U of Minnesota incidence study was published showing autism was present in 1 in 250 kids in Minnesota…..more reason not to fly as the public was not well educated on what autism was/is and how to best help families. So, at age 19, Jimmy had never been on an airplane until this week.

Jimmy with AirTran pilot
learning about the plane

Sometime last spring, I decided that we should try a short flight to someplace motivating for Jimmy. Having recently been to the Art Institute of Chicago, I knew that they had a wonderful collection of impressionist and contemporary art….just the place for a motivating trip. The flight would be short and my sister lives in Chicago….so, if we had problems, I had a back up plan.

Josh and Jimmy at the
Art Institute of Chicago

Jimmy has come such a long way with his health and accomplishments in art that flying for him would benefit him greatly….helping him grow as an artist and human being. Autism is so isolating for both the person who has autism and their family. With great hope for success, I started to plan for the trip….preparing Jimmy, me and Josh for all the what if’s for a first flight and walking the streets of a very busy city….both new experiences for Jimmy.

Josh and Jimmy in Chicago

We decided to fly on Southwest Airlines….their reputation and our personal experience for having friendly staff was important. Flying out of Terminal 2 in Minneapolis (smaller airport) to Midway (smaller airport) in Chicago gave us a good chance for success. Family friend, Angie MacDonald, works at Southwest. I called her to ask if we could come to “practice” at the airport before our actual flight. I had no idea what a fabulous experience would be in our future.

Jimmy in the cockpit of an AirTran plane
at Terminal 2 Minneapolis, Minnesota

Angie connected us with Metropolitan Airports Commissions staffer, Shelly Lopez. Shelly called me to set up a tour/practice at Terminal 2 last Tuesday morning. On the phone, Shelly asked remarkably well informed questions: does Jimmy use an iPad to speak, how is he with touch, does noise bother him, etc…. I was impressed! Shelly met us in the parking lot. Took us to pick up a pass for security and brought us through security. Much to our excitement, she took us to a gate where we met Mike Gregory. Mike arranged for us to meet flight crew from Air Tran. The flight crew brought us on board…Jimmy got to sit in the cockpit…what a treat.

Now you might think, how did we get such special treatment? Well, the good news is that it wasn’t special treatment. The Metropolitan Airports commission is working with Fraser and other community partners to help people with disabilities fly. The program will be launched in January…Yippy!!!!!

As you might imagine, I was likely as anxious as Jimmy was about flying. I mentioned this to my sister last week. She told me about a friend who was traveling with twins who had colic. The family made small “treat” bags to give traveler who sat near them letting fellow travelers know that they were doing the best that they could under the circumstance and that they greatly appreciated their patience. I thought this was a wonderful idea. So, I packaged up Jimmy’s note cards to take with us to Chicago. We handed them out to people who helped us along the way.

Rosie - 16"x20" Acrylic on Canvas 2012

I have always known that simple acts of kindness make a big difference. It was never more evident to me than it was this week. When people first meet Jimmy, they see his challenge to speak and often recognize his disability as autism. This was the case with many we encountered in our travel to Chicago on Thursday and at our practice on Tuesday. When we gave Jimmy’s note cards to those who helped us, the response was so rewarding and surprising. The shock at the quality of Jimmy’s artwork given his challenge was evident. The fact that someone said thank you to people who likely don’t hear it very often was remarkable. I feel like we changed perspectives on Tuesday and Thursday. Jimmy’s artwork has become a non-verbal means of changing the way people think about him and others in the spectrum…..the people we connected with on Tuesday and Thursday will see people with autism differently. That wasn’t my plan…..just a great byproduct of a successful trip. I am just so grateful that so many people were willing and happy to help us open up the world for Jimmy and our family.

Thanks to:

Angie MacDonald – Southwest Airlines

Shelly Lopez – Metropolitan Airports Commission

Mike Gregory – Southwest Airline

Flight to Chicago:

Captain: Rob Nohrn

1st Officer: Brian Crockett

Flight Attendants: Emily Scherzberg

Kristy Ramirez

Tina Henry

Flight Home:

Captain: Kevin Sinibaldi