News and notes from Imagine! and the Imagine! Foundation.

The Impact of Imagine! Artists

Dec-21-2020

Services

The Imagine! Etsy store is a great place to find original pieces of art made by folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These artists create their pieces during art class or on their own time and work with Imagine! to sell them on the Etsy store. Recently, artists were given the option to design a multitude of products using their paintings or designs. These products include anything from mugs to yoga pants. The profits from these purchases go directly to the artist and help support them in becoming independent entrepreneurs through creative expression.

Today we would like to highlight the impact of these artists on their community with a story about a painting that Imagine! employee Rachel purchased for her mother Lynne. They were so excited about this original painting by Tessa that they wanted to share how easy it is to find and fall in love with an original work of art through the Imagine! Etsy store.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Rachel. Our first question is why did you choose this specific piece?

I chose this piece because of its' aesthetic, and because I enjoy the style of the artist, Tessa K. I have had the pleasure of working with her here and there over the years as well.

That's wonderful! Where do you plan to hang it?

This piece is currently hung in my parents' house, in their shared home office.

It looks great! What do you think of the piece now that you have it in person?

My mom loves this piece, and even let me take some photos of her with it. She also gave me permission to share the photo of her with the painting with Tessa K, the artist, so that she could see how much it means to her. My mom was so happy to find out that one of my clients had made the painting and asked more about her interests and about other client artwork.

Is this your first piece of Imagine! art?

This is the first piece of Imagine! art that I have purchased through the Etsy store. I have purchased other Imagine! art over the years at art walks and shows, some for myself and others as gifts.

Awesome! Can you explain your process of finding and buying the piece? Were you just browsing or looking for something specific?

I wanted to get my mom, Lynne, a special Mother's Day present earlier this year. I also wanted to support Imagine! artists. I was drawn to many of the different artworks, but this one particularly stood out. A big yellow flower with added gold leafing seemed like a perfect theme for Mother's Day, to go along with some real flowers and a card as well. We were both very happy with the outcome.