The paintings in Kelly M. McVearry's exhibit look like the work of a professional. Each of them is different--one a rendering of Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" in the style of Picasso; another an impressionistic treatment of the National Cathedral. The forms are precise and detailed; even the canvases are stretched expertly. She has received offers from strangers to buy them.
McVearry, a student in the human development program at the Graduate School of Education (GSE), takes pride in each of the artists. But the artworks weren't created by experienced painters. They are the work of the learning disabled children, ages 9 to 13, who McVearry teaches in Washington, D.C. They have been diagnosed with conditions like attention deficit disorder and Tourette's syndrome. One student with dysgraphia, who cannot even hold a pencil, produced five paintings.
The works are on display in the Holyoke Center as part of the "Paint Pals/Pen Pals" program, which unites the learning disabled students with fifth graders from Cambridgeport elementary school. The exchange began when McVearry brought her students' paintings from Washington to Cambridge; she will return with letters and poems from Cambridgeport.
The exchange was another success for McVearry's unique art education program, which helps learning disabled kids communicate in ways seemingly far beyond their years.
"It's phenomenally exciting," says Jessica H. Davis, a GSE lecturer on cognition and the arts, "to see someone who understands that the brain and spirit can be unlocked if you have the right key."
Reaching Off the Canvas
She uses the arts to teach academic skills. Over time, she manages to teach the children about history, mathematics and geography as well as painting and sculpture.
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