Butterflies at the YCBA!

This past weekend, participants in the July 19th Exploring Artism program enjoyed learning about and making butterflies inside of the Center’s galleries. After looking closely at butterfly specimens in the “Of Green Leaf, Bird, and Flower”: Artists’ Books and the Natural World” exhibition, participants drew their own butterflies from observation and looked to works by John Dilnot for inspiration.

Participants draw scratch-art butterflies from closely looking at butterfly specimens in the gallery,
Participants draw scratch-art butterflies from closely looking at butterfly specimens in the gallery.

After looking at works and drawing from butterfly specimens in the galleries, everyone returned to the docent room to create a large mural together. The mural began with a blank sheet of brown paper measuring 60 by 108 inches.

Participants begin with gluing down a sky then grass all around.
Participants begin with gluing down a sky then grass all around.

Cut strips of green paper became grass and clouds were added to the sky. Colorful foam pieces were used as flower petals and participants made a variety of blooms from them.

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Clouds fill the sky and flowers are being made from foam pieces.
Clouds fill the sky and flowers are being made from foam pieces.

Finally, a rainbow of butterflies make their home in the mural. Each participant designed, colored, and glued their individual butterfly into the garden. Lastly, everyone enjoyed looking at the final artwork.

Butterflies populate the garden we made together.
Butterflies populate the garden we made together.

The completed mural will be on view in the Docent Room at the YCBA for the duration of the summer.

Wright’s Discuss Autism Awareness on Public TV’s MetroFocus

Autism Speaks co-founders Suzanne and Bob Wright sat down for an interview with Rafael Pi Roman, the host of MetroFocus, a weekly news magazine produced by New York public television. The Wrights discuss Autism Speaks, Light It Up Blue and offer a look at the autism documentary “Sounding the Alarm.”

You can watch the segment below beginning at 9:42 into the program.

http://www.whatisautisminchildren.com/wrights-discuss-autism-awareness-on-public-tvs-metrofocus/