Art Institute in Florida nurtures talents of people with disabilities

From The Miami Herald:

For Daniela Jahn Cano, painting is a form of self-expression.

The prolific painter and art lover has Down syndrome. At 21, she always seems to have a paintbrush in her hands.

Asked why she likes when asked why she likes to paint, Cano said ``It is because it is what makes me happy.''

Why does it make her happy? ``I can do what I am thinking,'' she said.

Cano's work will be on display through Dec. 18 at the Art Institute of Weston, where more than 500 people attended the opening reception Dec. 5. She splits her time between family in Weston and Venezuela.

Cano grew up in a family of artists. Her grandmother Conchita Firgau, is an internationally known master artist and owner of the Art Institute of Weston.

Her step-grandfather Charles LeChasney said she began taking art lessons at the Art Institute of Weston about 10 years ago.

The art school has had other students with disabilities in their mainstream classes before, said LeChasney, Firgau's husband and director of the art institute. In January, the school will start a special class for students with disabilities.

``It not only takes a lot of patience, but the students with disabilities have a lot of talent inside,'' LeChasney said. ``We have learned how to get that talent out in the open.''

One time, LeChasney said, when Cano was told that she could not go outside to ride her bicycle by herself, she turned to her art.

``She really, really wanted to ride her bicycle, but she couldn't,'' he said, ``so she went to her easel and started painting bicycles, until she had 18 or 20 paintings of bicycles.''

Youths with disabilities sometimes have a hard time expressing themselves verbally, but can do so with a brush and paint, LeChasney said.

``When you or I think of a tree, we may think of leaves and branches,'' he said. ``But a child with disabilities may think of something else entirely. They may be thinking of what they saw on TV or what they did last night.''

Through patience and trial and error, instructors have helped Cano learn how to transfer her thoughts into her art.

For the past three years, Cano has taken professional classes, learning how to blend colors, use the brushes correctly and express what is on her mind. Over time, Cano has learned to self-correct and look at her work with a critical eye, LeChasney said.

Now, she takes great pride in the money she earns from doing chores around the house to buy her own art supplies.

Cano has benefited so many ways from art, LeChasney said. ``Painting helps her release a lot of her stress,'' he said.

``It gives her a lot of satisfaction -- giving her drawings and paintings to friends. It's great for her fine motor skills, and it gives her a lot of patience because she knows it takes time to do a painting.''

What makes it more interesting to teach youths with disabilities, he said, is the fearlessness in which they jump into art.

``Many typical artists, when they are drawing or painting, take a lot of time trying to figure out their next line or next brush stroke, they think about every mistake,'' LeChasney said. ``But these types of children, they are so secure in knowing what they want to do, they just dive right in once they know how.''

In the new classes for the disabled population, which will cover a variety of media, including watercolor, acrylic and oil, students will be grouped by ability, not by age.

``We will have a series of exercises to determine the level of that individual,'' LeChasney said.

Some may be at the introductory level, where they are ready only to learn their colors and how to use the brushes, he said.

Others will be more advanced, and can do some drawing and more intricate skills. ``The bottom line is everyone will be able to learn,'' LeChasney said.