How the arts enrich our lives

20 August 2010 Attitude TV is screening The Value of Art at 8.30am on Sunday 22 August on TV One. This story focuses on six talented artists who talk to reporter Tanya Black about their art, what it means to them and its value to disabled artists.

“From researching the project, I can see there’s been a major shift in the past 50 years – from art being a way to ‘occupy’ the ‘patients’ to the artists being valued for their pure talent,” Tanya says. “The biography used to be important. Now the art world is respecting these artists for their genius and the disability is irrelevant.

“Painter Kamini Nair’s exhibition has seen her grow in confidence and engage more with her community while Andrew Blythe says his artmaking enables him to focus and still the mind. William Scott’s art enables him to convey a complex manifesto for a new San Francisco.

“And of course, the work is selling, giving the artists a sense of pride and economic freedom.”

Supporting the artists is a bunch of dedicated and passionate admirers of their work. Creative Growth Center in San Francisco is the world’s largest and oldest studio for disabled artists and it works hard to gain exposure (and sales!) for their artists.

“It was great to see equally motivated places here in New Zealand like Toi Ora, Sandz Gallery and many others,” Tanya says. “Without organisations like this, the artists’ lives would be very different and their extraordinary talent possibly remain undiscovered. 

“There were many other amazing people and establishments that we would have loved to include. However, we’re not stopping here. Please keep me informed of any interesting stories, artists or exhibitions for inclusion in future stories.”

You can also watch The Value of Art online at Attitude TV from Monday 23 August.