Keira Miller
Artist Statement
My name is Keira and I was diagnosed with autism at the age of @ 1/2. I've been doing art with my mom for as long as I can remember. I made Lunar Beauty with glitter, paint, watercolor, and some letter tiles. It is called Lunar Beauty because it looks like the surface of the moon.
My name is Keira and I was diagnosed with autism at the age of @ 1/2. I've been doing art with my mom for as long as I can remember. I made Lunar Beauty with glitter, paint, watercolor, and some letter tiles. It is called Lunar Beauty because it looks like the surface of the moon.
Why do you do art?
I do art because it's pretty and nice.
What does art mean to you?
Art means happiness to me.
What messages are easier to share through art than through words?
I like to share beauty with the world through my art.
What do you want others to know about autism
I would like others to know that Autism can be a little hard.
Lunar Beauty - Keira Miller
EmilyKate Jorgensen
Artist Statement
I wanted to honor my Celtic heritage through art. I continue these traditions with my love for fiddle and Irish dance. The Gaelic word “ceílí” means social gathering, specifically a fun event with fiddle music and Irish dance. I wanted to portray the joy and unity (“la chéile”) from these gatherings through pattern. The traditional patterns on my artwork are from ancient insular bibles found in Ireland. These patterns also appear on Irish dance dresses, including my unique competition dress. For my patterned self portrait, I was inspired by Van Gogh and the impressionist movement. I loved the unique brush strokes, color choices, and “flatness” from some of those artworks, so I incorporated these characteristics into my self portrait.
Why do you do art?
I wanted to honor my Celtic heritage through art. I continue these traditions with my love for fiddle and Irish dance. The Gaelic word “ceílí” means social gathering, specifically a fun event with fiddle music and Irish dance. I wanted to portray the joy and unity (“la chéile”) from these gatherings through pattern. The traditional patterns on my artwork are from ancient insular bibles found in Ireland. These patterns also appear on Irish dance dresses, including my unique competition dress. For my patterned self portrait, I was inspired by Van Gogh and the impressionist movement. I loved the unique brush strokes, color choices, and “flatness” from some of those artworks, so I incorporated these characteristics into my self portrait.
Why do you do art?
The “need to create” has always driven me. Art fulfills me in way that everything else can’t. I have always loved art because it portrays ideas and feeling in ways that cannot be spoken in words. I have a multifaceted imagination that comes to life in physical form through art. “Ars longa, vita brevis.” (Art is long, but life is short.
What does art mean to you?
Art is a way of making complex ideas tangible. Expression is what makes humanity unique—and what sets you apart from the rest of humanity.
What messages are easier to share through art than through words?
Messages are not simply easier through art; instead, messages can be explored through different lenses that can make you see in a way you have never experienced before.
What do you want others to know about autism
The autism spectrum is like color. There are some waves of the spectrum that are not visible to the naked eye. Autism characteristics and struggles are not always visible. Just because someone doesn’t “seem autistic” to others doesn’t undermine their unique story and journey.
Ceílí
- EmilyKate Jorgensen
Jenn Baker
Artist Statement
I make pieces based off of archival film from the 60's borne from a love of the 60's tradition of protest
Why do you do art?
To express my appreciation for wider concepts that I see in life, motion, pose, emotion, expression, freedom. I want to use art to lift a mundane (often historical) subject to the level of the hyperreal.
What does art mean to you?
Art means the creation of something special to encapsulate a special feeling or expeience
What messages are easier to share through art than through words?
messages from motion and image, from the way things are opposed and how something appears
What do you want others to know about autism
That Autism is normal and that many ordinary people experience autism
Stopped at the Convention - Jenn Baker
Kelly Ripplinger
Artist Statement
Being creative is a big part of who I am.
Why do you do art?
I find it an amazing way to learn and grow. I also find it an amazing way to express my creativity.
What does art mean to you?
Art is a way to learn and a way to relax.
What messages are easier to share through art than through words?
I find positive emotions such as peace easier to express through art at times.
What do you want others to know about autism
Autism even though it is a disability can be really helpful and good at times
Sunset Lake - Kelly Ripplinger
Camila Rodrigues
Why do you do art?
My mind is in a constant state of chaos, with an endless stream of thoughts constantly commanding my attention. But when I’m engaged in creating, I experience a level of stillness that is, otherwise, rare. It’s a welcome respite from my overactive mind.
What does art mean to you?
As an autistic person, I experience the world differently from my neurotypical peers. That difference can feel isolating, especially when I can’t adequality convey my experiences. Through art, I can express the richness of my inner world in ways that language alone cannot. For me, art is a bridge between neurotypes - a way to connect and find shared meaning. In a world where we’re often misunderstood, experiencing that common ground can be invaluable.
What messages are easier to share through art than through words?
Anything that involves emotions. Words seem to fall short when the message being conveyed is subjective.
What do you want others to know about autism?
Autism is not an epidemic! Rather than focusing on a cure, use those resources to better the lives of autistic people. We need support, inclusion, and accommodations to thrive in a world that wasn’t made for us. Focusing on eradicating our neurotype only invalidates our existence.
Electric Wave - Camila Rodrigues
Hands of Love - Kelly Ripplinger
