The nonprofit organization provides services and support that empower individuals with disabilities to explore opportunities, make informed choices, and achieve greater independence. Its vision is to see a community that offers equal opportunities, values diversity, and encourages all individuals to contribute, fostering a culture of respect and belonging.

The artworks are a result of EXCEED’s Art in the Park project, which originated during the pandemic, with funding through the City of Hemet’s Community Development Block Grant. It has continued with added sponsorship from the Soboba Foundation. The art sessions, facilitated by Nancy Espensen, provide clients in the nonprofit’s various programs a unique opportunity to explore their creativity, collaborate on projects with their peers, and foster a sense of pride in their accomplishments.

The public art show is a culmination of a year’s worth of classes that explore many different styles of art and some of the artists who are best known for their unique approaches. This allows clients to learn a little art history as they take advantage of learning exciting new techniques and exploring different media.

Projects reflected the entire year, with the first flowers of spring to the first snow of winter and several holiday-themed pieces in between. Forty-five different sessions were represented on tables, display panels and even hanging from the ceiling.

MaeDean Williams, a client with the Community Integrated Services program, likes participating. “It keeps me busy,” she said. “All of them were fun to do.”

Artist Elaine Morris said she likes doing all the projects, especially the “Blackbirds, Whitebirds.” Participants built the foundation of their birds, using Styrofoam balls and dowels. They shaped the wings and tail feathers with wire, crafting a variety of birds. Plaster strips were applied to cover the bodies and wings, adding structure. To complete their creations, they painted and embellished them with feathers, beaks and expressive eyes. Nicole Yoder also enjoyed the bird building project. She said the end result surprised her as she just created what came to her mind.

“It’s exciting to learn something new,” Morris said of the classes.

Espensen loves when the artists find inspiration from the processes that go into creating each piece. She was particularly happy with the way the Chihuly Tower turned out since it involved a collaborative effort from two different groups each week. Inspired by American artist Dale Chihuly, who has many Tower installations throughout the world, the seven-foot-tall sculpture greeted guests as they arrived.

“We worked on it for weeks, intertwining other projects in between,” she said. The tower is currently on display at the Hemet Public Library lobby. Other pieces of art will be displayed there sometime in May.

The colorful artwork features oversized flowers that were made by melting more than 100 pieces of plastic and attaching them to a PVC pipe. Lights were incorporated to illuminate the piece. Espensen and Sandra Aldridge, who handles EXCEED’s marketing and resource development, chose the joint project that was originally 10 feet tall. It took about six classes to complete.

One of Espensen’s personal favorite projects was leading clients through their “Flowers by Imagination” project, which took three sessions to process. After taking a workshop that was inspired by Sandrine Pelissier’s multi-step technique, she was eager to introduce it to her clients. “I enjoyed watching them watch the experience,” she said.

Another detailed project was the abstract Triptych pieces that allowed the artists to design their own pieces. They were instructed to maintain consistency in materials across three panels. Exploring various painting techniques, they experimented with different brush strokes to add texture and movement. Small squares of parchment paper were provided to create stamped shapes, adding another dynamic layer to their artwork. A final touch of glitter brought their creations to life.

Margaret Taylor’s favorite piece was the “Guitars” project because she likes music. Individuals received a piece of sheet music of romantic Latin songs along with various collage papers. They tore the sheets into small pieces and arranged them randomly on watercolor paper. Using tempera paint, they brought their backgrounds and guitar to life, while exploring contrasting colors and color schemes. Finally, they placed the cut-out guitar onto the paper, completing the creative masterpiece and allowing the instrument to “pop out” from the colorful background.

After exploring images of caves from around the world, participants began their artwork by sponge painting different shades of brown and tan onto their boards to create a textured earthy background. Once the paint dried, they added glue to the page and sprinkled sand on top, giving the surface a tactile, realistic feel. To finish, the artists used markers to draw their own cave symbols, imagining what their personal cave artwork would look like. Andrea Fonseca explained that her “Cave Drawings” art was inspired by a storm, depicting a tornado and the people running away from it or hiding from it. She said it was actually a happy story because everyone stayed safe from the storm.

“A notable outcome from the art sessions has been the personal growth of our clients,” CEO Lee Tisler said. “As they gained confidence, those who previously struggled with social interactions began to engage more with others, enthusiastically sharing their artwork and explaining their artistic processes and unique creations.”

This was evident at the art show where the artists proudly shared their works with family members and other guests during the three-hour celebration of talent, creativity and self-expression.

“I’m so impressed by them,” Espensen said. “I altruistically want their spirit to come through. I want them to express themselves and not have anyone interfere with their creation.”

For more information, www.weexceed.org or 951-766-8659.

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