Kids & Family

New Art Exhibit Opens at The Queen

Exhibit raises awareness of people with disabilities.

A new art exhibit is on display now through Nov. 8 at Queen of the Valley Medical Center. 

The (Art)Ability Exhibit features works of art by artists who have developmental, physical and intellectual disabilities.

For the past two years, (Art)Ability has been a one-time annual event with multiple agencies that featured the works of their artists.

In an effort to raise awareness for people with disabilities, the (Art)Ability event is now on the move and looking to facilitate ongoing exhibits throughout the year. 

Queen of the Valley is the first site to host the (Art)Ability exhibit. Molinari Caffe in downtown Napa will be the second site to host the next exhibit.

From now through Nov. 8, the walls of the cafeteria at the Queen will be lined with a variety of art pieces created by people with disabilities.

The artwork is a compilation of 11 different artists from four different agencies from Napa County.

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The agencies featured at the Queen this time are Moving Forward Towards Independence, Napa Valley Support Services – Brown Street Gallery, Vine Village, and UCP of the North Bay’s Wine Bev program. 

 ”These types of events remind us that we all have unique abilities and gifts, and that we all need to be treated with dignity and respect” said Jaime Peñaherrera, Director of Diversity and Community Partnerships at  Queen of the Valley.

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Kristin Miller, who co-chairs the Napa Committee on Disabilities Employment Network, worked with  Peñaherrera to coordinate this art exhibit in an effort to create awareness about disparities in employment for people with disabilities. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, as of August 2013, only 20 percent of people with disabilities were currently employed, in comparison to 70 percent of Americans without disabilities. Creating job opportunities for all people is critical to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. 

For more information about hosting (Art)Ability or to find out about how your business can benefit from hiring people with disabilities, please contact Kristin Miller at kristinm@moving-forward.org or 707-501-8151.

 



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