Meet the Artists Reception Held For TO FLY Collection at The Lenz Winery

On July 12^th, artists supported by the Art Program at Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) were honored at a Meet the Artists Reception at The LENZ Winery (LENZ) in Peconic, NY.  The artists honored all have their works on exhibit at LENZ. The special exhibit will be on display through September 2.

“I can’t thank The LENZWinery enough for being so good to our artists over the years,” said Robert S. Budd, CEO, FREE.  “Events such as this are really affirming to our artists and allow their works to be seen by a large audience,” he continued. 

The LENZ Winery, one of Long Island’s oldest and most prestigious North Fork vineyards, has long been a supporter of FREE.  They have hosted a number of showcases for artwork created by members of FREE’s art program.

FREE, a leader in the field of human services dedicated to helping individuals of all abilities realize their full potential believes that art provides a powerful means for healing and communication for anyone, but especially for people who find it difficult to express their thoughts and feelings through spoken words alone.

The collection on display, TO FLY, is a very special exhibition of artwork created by individuals with Autism and other Special Needs, participating in the art programs at FREE.  The artists represented are the finalists whose quality of work “rose high enough” to have earned a place in this inspired collection.

The TO FLY Collection Will Be on Exhibit at The LENZ Winery Through September 2. Included in The Selected Pieces Is “Unicorn with Wings” (Violet/Pink canvas In Frame) By Doretta Waterman of Ronkonkoma. Her Art Is on This Year’s Wine Label Collaboration With LENZ.

TO FLY is a series of acrylic polymer paintings that grew out of the feeling of what it would be like to be able to fly. Building on the concept of once accepting one’s own personal power…. there exists an opportunity to spread your wings and take flight!

Our artists immersed themselves into the flowing river of creativity; where healing resides and has the power to rejuvenate and transform life. Throughout the eleven months it took to complete our process, weekly emotional and spiritual self -revelation spiraled our artists to ever mounting artistic heights allowing them to find their voices and “talk to us” through the mystical, hidden language of images and symbols.

TO FLY consists of wide ranging depictions of the differing fantasies of what it would be like to be able to fly. Our artists chose to create different creatures with wings to embody the idea…and after sculpting the forms, painted the canvas with acrylic paints to bring their “fantasy” to life!

While the artwork is beautiful to look at it is important to recognize the depth of emotional release, intellectual learning and work skills development that took place over months of work with all our dedicated staff. It was their patience and unerring commitment to “stay the course” and believe that our artists could reach high to not only “see their healing image”, but also commit it to permanent form for all to share in their vision.

Over the years a lot has been written about the neurological effect of art and the creative process of spiritual self-expression, especially for individuals who may find it difficult to express their thoughts and feelings through spoken words alone. The images on view are a testament to this healing power, as our artists faced the challenge to “break through” familiar modes of expression and embrace feelings of trust, hope and peace, offering them an alternative to chaos, conflict and fear. This project in creativity has helped fortify the groundwork for our artists’ successful, ongoing contributions to our community through employment, volunteerism and cultural enhancement for us all.

All are encouraged to view the works and perhaps purchase a piece.  The proceeds of sales go towards supporting the artist and their program.