Art Ability is an international juried exhibition and sale of art and fine crafts produced by individuals with disabilities. Established in 1994 by Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, Art Ability utilizes the visual arts to expand and enhance the lives of people with disabilities. Through art, we hope to inspire patients to reach beyond their limitations and to encourage people with disabilities to explore their own creativity.

Art Ability provides a showcase and a marketplace for talented artists while educating the community about the remarkable capabilities of people with a wide variety of disabilities, including spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, visual impairments, amputations, stroke, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, chronic back pain and hearing impairments. Artists receive 80 percent of proceeds from the sale of their pieces, with 20 percent earmarked to support the Hospital’s nationally-recognized treatment programs.

Art Ability 2008: Thirteen Years of Art and Inspiration
This year's Art Ability exhibition will feature hundreds of pieces of art in a diverse range of media including paintings, sculptures, photography, pastels, jewelry, stained and mosaic glass, metalwork, and other crafts. Now celebrating its 13th anniversary year, Art Ability will open for a two-month run on November 8, 2008 and run through January 18, 2009. It will showcase the works of more than 100 artists with physical and cognitive disabilities from the United States, Canada, and several other countries. A self-guided tour of displayed art that begins at the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital reception desk can be taken daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. beginning Nov. 9.

For information about tickets to the exhibit opening, contact us via email at ArtAbility@mlhs.org.

 

More About Art Ability...

	Call For Entries Attention artists with disabilities...We are currently accepting entries for this year's Art Ability exhibit. To download our eligibility requirements, entry instructions, and the entry form, click here. The deadline for 2008 submissions is June 27, 2008.
	President's Message Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital President Donna Phillips shares her thoughts on Art Ability and explains how this event enriches the lives of people with disabilities. Learn more
	Artists' Gallery Painting, sculpture, photography, crafts...and more. Check out some of the beautiful, award-winning works from previous Art Ability artists. View Gallery!
	Become an Art Ability Sponsor Art Ability welcomes individual, group, and corporate sponsors, and offers the opportunity to have an award created in your name. For details, please contact us via e-mail at ArtAbility@mlhs.org. Or call the Art Ability Office at 610-251-5607.
	For More Information Got a question about Art Ability? Call us at 610-251-5607. Or send us an email at ArtAbility@mlhs.org.

Awards
In September 2002, the Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Facilitates (PARF) recognized the Art Ability program with a Rehabilitation Agency Recognition Award, which is presented to a member agency for outstanding achievement of the development of an exemplary program or service for individuals with disabilities.

In recognition of our mission to make the arts more accessible to people with disabilities, Art Ability was named a Keystone of Accessibility in 2000 by Gov. Tom Ridge and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, one of only 12 arts organizations so honored.

Sponsors
Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital and the artists of Art Ability thank the following corporate sponsors for their strong support of this year’s exhibition:

• ARAMARK HealthCare Services
• Genesis HealthCare
• Nason Construction
• Pepper Hamilton LLP
• TransCare, ML
• Tri-State Telecommunications