Art For All Mississippi Brings Joy to Mississippians with Disabilities, Veterans, and Seniors

Founded in 2001 by eight students, AFAMS Community Art Group provides all adults with disabilities the opportunity to participate in artistic experiences and art-making according to their needs and abilities.

Zoom in. I have a confession to make. I’m not an artist. When my friends start talking about acrylics, watercolors, and Prismacolor pencils, I’m lost like a deer in headlights. But I try to learn over Zoom, through an Artsy group I joined two years ago. While members create and paint beautiful cards twice a month, I pull out my stamp sets, stencils, and colored pencils.

During my interview with Tom Harmon, Executive Director of Art For All Mississippi, he mentioned Betty Edwards’ book, Drawing with the right hemisphere of the brain. This is a book used in studio classes and has been helpful to many students. This information gives me a glimmer of hope, even if drawing isn’t my cup of tea.

Studio

Art For All Mississippi, founded in 1987, was originally called Very Special Arts Mississippi and was a subsidiary of VSA International, headquartered at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Very Special Arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith. The organization’s goal is to provide artistic opportunities for people with disabilities. The affiliation with VSA lasted several years. Then, when the organization made some changes, the Mississippi board canceled its affiliation and created its own nonprofit and logo. In addition, the new name provides a specific focus.

The mission of Arts for All Mississippians has remained the same since its inception. Founded in 2001 with eight students, the AFAMS Community Art Group provides all adults with disabilities the opportunity to participate in artistic experiences and create art according to their needs and abilities. The group offers professional instruction and guidance to participants, using a variety of techniques including individual and group instruction by teaching artists, guest artists, use of instructional manuals, and field trips to museums and galleries to view masterpieces.

The AFAMS office and studio is located at 201 E. Pascagoula Street, Suites 103A, Jackson. The entire facility is handicap accessible, with a large, well-equipped teaching studio in the Arts Center.

The board currently consists of a ten-member board of directors. The executive director is a full-time employee who serves on the board. Jackson also has a part-time senior teaching artist and part-time contract staff. These individuals are used for short-term teaching assignments in the School Teaching Artist-in-Residence program.

The organization is funded through donations, fundraisers, and grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Canvas, paints and brush strokes

The organization provides all materials and supplies free of charge to participants. The suggested fee is $10 per session, but only if the participant is able to pay.

There are currently several programs available:

Community Art Group is a long-term, basic art program for adults with disabilities. Students receive formal art instruction and have the opportunity to create work under the guidance of teaching artists. Instruction includes “art principles and drawing media, pastels, acrylics, watercolors, oils, and mixed media.” Tom also shared that plans are underway to open a clay studio on Fridays. Classes will focus on how to work with clay using the potter’s wheel and kiln. More information can be found on the website and Facebook page.

The School Teaching Artists in Residence (STAIR) program is a program of qualified teaching artists who are available to provide short-term residencies of 12-14 teaching hours. The program focuses on providing integration of arts and education with classroom instruction for students with disabilities. AFAMS has six active teaching artists.

The veterans program is advertised by the VA Medical Center, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Facebook. Other groups include Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and Blind and Grace Place (a Christian ministry for the poor and homeless in Jackson).

So how do you get involved in this great opportunity? First, it is only for adults with disabilities, veterans, or seniors. You must fill out a registration form, which can be found on the website. The class is currently open only on Tuesdays. Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Once registration is complete, Tom Harmon will conduct an interview.

Many students have exhibited their work at the Municipal Gallery, the Arts Center of Mississippi, the Mississippi Library Commission, the VA Medical Center, and the Methodist Rehabilitation Center. Students participate in the annual art show in December at the center and in the statewide Goodwill show in March. Several students have won awards for their work.

If you visit AFAMS, you will enjoy walking down the hallway and viewing the gallery of framed student artwork from over the years. Many of the pieces are for sale.

From Drawing Lighthouses to Being an Executive Director

Tom Harmon, 80, is passionate about his work at AFAMS. His story of how he came to be a part of the organization is fascinating.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for art. After a 35-year career in the U.S. Army, I retired in 1994 and went straight to work for the Washington State Department of Health as the director of emergency management. I also had a boat at the time and spent a lot of time sailing around Puget Sound. I saw lighthouses and decided to learn how to draw them and paint them with watercolors. Then I started selling postcards in gift shops around Washington and Oregon. Within a year or so, I had sold about 30,000 of those postcards.”

Tom returned to Mississippi (he is originally from Jackson) and became involved with a veterans performing arts group jointly sponsored by the VA Medical Center and VSA Mississippi.

“Within a year, I was asked to become a group leader and teacher. I became the executive director in 2018. I started at Very Special Arts MS in 2001 as a part-time teaching artist with the Jackson Community Art Group. Over the years, I have expanded my teaching to include special education students in schools throughout Mississippi. I have also provided professional development training in Universal Design for Learning techniques for special education teachers.”

A multimedia artist, Tom mentioned that he was one of five selected as a VSA Teaching Artist Fellow for 2009-2010. The Kennedy Center website states, “(Tom) loves the intellectual challenge of making art, as well as the emotional engagement and satisfaction that comes with it.”

When asked what he would like to share with our readers, he quickly replied, “I would like them to know that we offer a wonderful opportunity for someone to take part in the arts, make new friends, enjoy the experience of being with a group of peers. Sometimes a disabled person can feel lonely, especially when they are the only disabled person in the room. We have a room full of disabled people. We encourage everyone to come; we understand if it’s not their cup of tea. They are not committing to anything.”

One more thing: Tom will tell you that working with Art For All Mississippi has brought him tremendous blessings and pleasures.

“As you get older, you don’t have to look for something to do; it finds you. You have to be open to the possibilities.”

If you are interested in being a part of AFAMS, please let Tom know. Email the Executive Director at [email protected] or call (601) 214-4016.

— Article by Laura Lee Leathers of the Magnolia Tribune —