The Patchogue-Medford Library is pleased to host the group exhibition, The Artists of Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc., curated by FREE’s Senior Rehabilitation Specialist, Glyn Evans. 2021 marks the ninth year the library has hosted the artists of FREE, but unlike previous years, this exhibition is a retrospective – highlighting selections from two series of work: Ascension and Too Fly. 

The exhibit features dynamic works of art created by individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. The images are powerful and moving for the artists as well as their audience. Each painting is a testament to the important role art has in self-expression and personal empowerment. FREE believes that art is an expressive outlet that fortifies the artists’ successful, ongoing contributions to their communities. 

The series on display, Ascension and Too Fly, revolve around the theme of transcendence. Originally created in 2017 and 2018 respectively, each series was conceived using acrylic paints and gels that gives the work a sense of three-dimensionality and textural depth. The artists strived to create art that tells a story. The curator states that “a sense of flight or a feeling of ascending to a higher plane were the original concepts for the pieces, but to each of us they call upon emotions and ideas that are original to each viewer.” Although the artists have their own intentions in creating this work, they encourage the viewer to engage closely with each painting, allowing them to determine their own interpretations while simultaneously sparking their creative imagination. Each abstract painting is open to multiple readings with the narrative of each piece dependent on the emotional or mental state of the observer.