UPCOMING EVENTS
June 1, 2010 – September 6, 2010
We are pleased to announce that once again, Pure Vision Arts will be collaborating with the Fountain Gallery and the Survivors Art Foundation in The 5th Annual Outsider Art in the Hamptons. The exhibition will be held at Galerie BelAge in Westhampton Beach, New York from June 1 - September 6, 2010. There will be opening parties June 19th and July 24th from 5-8 pm.
We invite you to visit www.galeriebelage.com to learn more about the show and Galerie BelAge. For questions regarding Pure Vision Arts participation, please call 212-366-4263, Ext 4222. Many thanks.
PAST EVENTS
December 1, 2009 – February 28, 2010
Pure Vision Arts' artist, Susan Brown participated in a three-woman show at the Olof Gallery in the Netherlands entitled Outside Hers. To learn more about the Olof Gallery, we invite you to visit their website http://www.olof-art.nl/.
Outsider Art Fair - February 5-7, 2010
Pure Vision Arts staff greeted art lovers at Booth 14 at the 2010 Outsider Art Fair held in New York City. Sharing the booth with Galerie Atelier Herenplaats from the Netherlands, sales were steady. It was a pleasure to have our studio represented once again at this world class exhibition; many new friends were introduced to the art of PVA’s talented artists, and the work of The Shield Institute.
Successful Community Event
On November 12th, 2009, several hundred people attended Paradise Found, Pure Vision Arts 7th Anniversary Community Reception at their 17th Street studio in Manhattan, featuring the art of PVA's self-taught artists.
Many of the artists were in attendance, including Mr. William Britt who made the trip to the studio from West Haverstraw, New York and whose new work was featured; a monograph of his work was previewed. Sales were brisk as old PVA friends and those new to the extraordinary work mingled with the artists and enjoyed the food and wine.
Awareness and Funds Raised June 3, 2009 at Pure Vision Arts at Marlborough
Well over 200 guests joined talented artists from The Shield Institute's Pure Vision Arts studio June 3rd to raise over $60,000 for programs benefitting children and adults with developmental disabilities. The event took place at the Marlborough Gallery on West 57th Street, where gallery-goers enjoyed delicious food donated by Etats-Unis Restaurant, fine wines from Pindar Vineyards, and a great live jazz trio led by Ethan Mann. The music provided a perfect accompaniment as the audience viewed new work by artists from New York's only full time professional art studio for these artists. Artists' work was sold during the exhibition and at a special auction lead by the Antique Roadshow's Harmer Johnson.
The Shield Institute's 2009 Pure Visionary Award was presented to disability rights advocate Mary Somoza by her daughter Alba Somoza, an artist at the PVA studio in Chelsea. Former President Bill Clinton, writing in a special greeting to the audience, underscored that in advocating for the full educational rights of her twin daughters, both of whom have Cerebral Palsy, Mary Somoza was instrumental in helping pave the way for other children with disabilities seeking inclusion. "Her story demonstrates the power each of us has to make a difference," Clinton wrote. "And Alba's artwork is a shining example of how much we have to gain by embracing the creativity and gifts of all our people."
William Britt, Leon McCutcheon and Susan Brown as well as other of the studio's artists enjoyed sharing comments about their work during the fast-paced auction. Britt is among the most accomplished self-taught artists working today; he lived for over thirty years in the Willow Brook State Institution before it's closing several decades ago. Since moving into his own home in the Hudson Valley, Britt has found success as a naturalist painter known for his astonishing landscapes and sensitive studies of birds and other wildlife. "What do the Emperor of Japan, Prince Charles and Nancy Reagan all have in common? Auctioneer Johnson asked the audience. "All own paintings by Willy Britt."
Major sponsors of the evening included Bryan Cave LLP, The Capital Companies, The Clinton Family Foundation, Consolidated Bus Transit and the TD Bank.
Modern Primitive, 6th Anniversary Exhibition and Reception
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Pure Vision Arts Studio
114 West 17th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10011
To kick off the holiday season, Pure Vision Arts opened its doors for its annual community event. The capacity crowd enjoyed viewing the new art, purchased artwork and gifts, and mingled with PVA's talented artists. Thanks to everyone who participated.
Rocking Horse Cafe Dia De Los Muertos Benefit and Art Auction
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Rocking Horse Cafe
182 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), New York, NY 10011
Chelsea's Rocking Horse Cafe, one of New York's most spirited Mexican restaurants, hosted its 12th Annual Dia De Los Muertos Benefit to support scholarships for artists at The Shield Institute's Pure Vision Arts studio.
Dia De Los Muertos is an annual celebration honoring the memory of loved ones who have gone before us. The Day of the Dead is a joyous affirmation of life, commemorated in Mexico with altars, seasonal foods and family gatherings. Rocking Horse Cafe put a lively spin on this holiday, gathering friends and neighbors for a unique evening of exquisite food, drink, art and music.
The party featured an exhibition and silent auction of Day of the Dead altars created especially for the event by emerging and established visual artists, many from the PVA studio. A live auction was made possible through the generosity of businesses and individuals including the Blue Man Group, The City Quilter, Herradura, The Isadora Duncan Dance Company, The Joyce Theater, artist Elke Kuhn, the Rocking Horse Cafe, the Rubin Museum of Art, Starting Line, and McBurney YMCA.
PVA thanks all the sponsors, artists, guests, and volunteers who made this festive evening possible.
June 4, 2008
6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Marlborough Chelsea
545 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10001
The Shield's benefit art auction and exhibition, held June 4, raised over $80,000 to support programs serving New Yorkers with autism and other developmental disabilities. Once again, Harmer Johnson of the Antiques Roadshow led an exciting auction in which Susan Brown's painting sold for a record $4,000. Brown was one of more than twenty artists whose work was on exhibition.
An enthusiastic audience enjoyed gourmet food donated by the Rocking Horse Cafe and fine wine donated by Pindar Vineyards of Long Island. A jazz trio led by guitarist Ethan Mann played into the night.2008 Pure Visionary Awards were presented to PVA artist Jessica Park and her trailblazing mother, Clara Claiborne Park, the author of seminal books on raising a daughter on the spectrum. PVA's Director, Pamala Rogers hailed them as "women of pure vision" who have had a significant cultural impact. Jessica signed copies of a new book about her work, Exploring Nirvana: The Art of Jessica Park.
The event's major sponsors were: Capital Research Company, Bryan Cave LLP, Consolidated Bus Transit, The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services and Zaro's Bakery: Chelsea, Grand Central and Penn Station.
Thanks to our many enthusiastic and devoted volunteers and to everyone who participated in this wonderful evening.
City Folk 
November 8, 2007
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Pure Vision Arts
114 West 17th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10011
On the occasion of Pure Vision Arts' five year anniversary, the studio hosted City Folk, a group exhibition featuring work by self-taught artists.
Pure Vision Arts at Marlborough Gallery
June 14, 2007
Marlborough Gallery
40 West 57th Street
New York, NY
Pure Vision Arts at Marlborough Gallery, The Shield Institute's second annual benefit art auction and exhibition, celebrated the cultural contributions of artists with autism and other developmental disabilities as part of a special gala evening at one of the world's leading contemporary art galleries. This year's exhibition had a special focus on Susan Brown and Jessica Park, two extraordinary artists on the autism spectrum who have been with the Pure Vision Arts studio since its opening in 2002.
Works by William Britt, Susan Brown, Leon McCutcheon, Walter Mika and Jessica Park were sold during a spirited auction led by auctioneer Harmer Johnson. The auction also included a signed blueprint by Temple Grandin, a designer of livestock handling facilities, professor of animal science at Colorado State University and arguably the most famous person with autism.
Urban Visionaries
January 23-31, 2007
Pure Vision Arts
114 West 17th Street
New York, NY
In conjunction with the Outsider Art Fair, Pure Vision Arts hosted Urban Visionaries, the first exhibition collaboration with the Dutch studios Atelier Herenplaats and Kunst & Vliegwerk. Several hundred guests visited the gallery over the course of the exhibition and nearly $25,000 was raised to provide economically disadvantaged artists with scholarships to Pure Vision Arts.
Pure Vision Arts at Marlborough Chelsea
May 11, 2006
Marlborough Chelsea gallery
211 West 19th Street
New York, NY
Pure Vision Arts at Marlborough Chelsea, a benefit art auction and exhibition, raised nearly $150,000 through the sale and auction of work by artists with developmental challenges at one of the city's best-known galleries of contemporary art. Hundreds attended the event at the Marlborough Chelsea gallery where Soprano actress Lorraine Bracco and writer Esther Cohen who directs the Bread and Roses Cultural Project of 1199 SEIU received Pure Visionary Awards.
Art auctioneer George McNeely of Christie's led the bidding on works by Pure Vision Arts artists Susan Brown and Leon McCutcheon as well as Richard Haas, David Remfry and Milton Glaser, well known artists who contributed their work as a show of support to Manhattan's premiere studio for artists and artisans with developmental disabilities. Mr. Glaser's original design Opening Eyes, created especialy for the evening, was auctioned for $2,500. A limited number of rare prints of this work can be purchased through Pure Vision Arts' online Gallery Shop.
Outsider Art Fair
January 27–29, 2006
The Puck Building
295 Lafayette Street (at Houston Street)
New York, NY
The Outsider Art Fair is an annual international event held in January at the Puck Building in SoHo, New York City. Leading galleries and art-studio programs representing self-taught artists gather to feature the best work of the contemporary movement. Artists in the exhibition include the legendary Grandma Moses, Henry Darger, Howard Finster, and Sam Doyle. Pure Vision Arts has been a participant in the fair since 2003.
Pure Visionaries: Artists on the Spectrum
November 3–23, 2005
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Cooper Square
New York, NY
Pure Visionaries was an art exhibition and one-day symposium celebrating the cultural achievements of people on the autism spectrum. Speakers and performers included Dr. Temple Grandin, associate professor at Colorado State University, Michael John Carley, playwright and executive director of the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership, author Clara Claiborne Park, and artists Jessica Park, Johnny Seitz, and Chris Rials-Seitz.