Painter of the Month

Painter of the Month: Isabell Villacis

Hi all.  Before we begin the interview the quickest news update.  A.R.T. will be showing at the Princeton University art museum in February.  The A.R.T. artists will be surrounded by French impressionism, ancient Chinese art, renaissance painting.

As to the Flying Eye photo program, a scientist doing a daring expedition to Antarctica has told us he wants to be part of the Flying Eye.  So if it works, the artists in Princeton can control a camera where next to no human has gone before.

We just learned one of Isabell's paintings has been selected by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to be featured on their New Year's greeting card.  Isabell was thrilled to hear her painting would be seen by all those part of the wonderful net cast by such a prestigious foundation.

And in this recession we say a heart-felt thank you to the Kessler Foundation, the New York Community Trust, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the Hyde and Watson Foundation and the David Mathey Foundation for coming through for us. 

Interview with artist Isabell Villacis.

TL: Who is your favorite painter?
Isabell: Picasso.
TL: What do you like about his work?
Isabell: His style.  His way of expressing himself.
TL: Which artist or artists have most effected the way you paint?
Isabell: Joan Miró.
TL: Oh yeah.  Oh yeah.  And, what do you see in his work?
Isabell: I see myself in his work.
TL: Where do your ideas come from?
Isabell: From everywhere. From life, from Nature, from experiences, from traveling. From anywhere. From everywhere.
TL: Do you remember our first contact?
Isabell: What? 
TL: That first phone call?
Members of the A.R.T. board of trustees had encouraged me to stop giving away our services for free.  A state social worker called A.R.T. to refer us to a young woman named Isabell.  I figured there was no money for A.R.T. in this call but made it anyway.  As I spoke with Isabell's mom, who is great, I hear this voice shout in the background, "I'm an abstract painter!"  I could not stop laughing, with joy, at the bravura declaration meant to lock the deal no matter what.
Isabell: I know it was eight years ago.
TL: Eight years?
Isabell: Yes.

TL: What media coverage have you had?
Isabell: People magazine, the Star Ledger...
TL: American Voices with Bill Bradley.
Isabell: Yup.
Isabell has been featured in national cable TV shows, Sirius radio, all the major newspapers of her home state New Jersey.

TL: Where do you get your confidence from?
Isabell: From my sister and my cousin.  From my family. And from Darren. 
Darren McManus is A.R.T.’s top Tracker at the Princeton University studio program.

TL: They're good examples of...
Isabell: Yes, they're a good example.
TL: What are the most paintings you've ever sold at one show?
Isabell: I don't remember.
TL: I do.  Seventeen. That solo show you had.
If you were to describe A.R.T. to someone who knew nothing about it what would you say?
Isabell: Come check it out.
TL: Why is it that some people have a hard time seeing abstract art?
Isabell: Because they don't understand the language that we come from.
TL: Do you get treated differently because you use a wheelchair?
Isabell: No.
TL: So you don't, ah...
Isabell: I've overcome that already.
TL: How did you overcome it?
Isabell: Because of my confidence.
TL: Your dream was to go to Paris and you ended up going.  What did you see when you were there?
Isabell: -laughter- What?
TL: What did you see when you were in Paris?
Isabell: A lot of things.  –laughter-
TL: Did you go to the Louvre?
Isabell: -light laughter-  Yes, and the Eiffel Tower of course.
TL: What do you think of the trends in the art world today?
Isabell: I have a lot of opinions.  Some paintings are not good like mine are.  You know...
TL: I agree.
Isabell: There's a lot of competition, because of the history of art. A lot of criticism, a lot of art critics...
TL: And what is the goal of painting?
Isabell: I'm trying to get myself out there.
TL: But what do you hope your painting will do to someone else when they see it? Isabell: Open your eyes and your mind.
TL: If you were to imagine someone, ah, out there, who had physical challenges, and had nothing like A.R.T., can you imagine what they would feel like once they got the A.R.T. power for the first time?
Isabell:  -her voice chokes a little- A lot of emotions.  A lot of emotions, Tim.
TL: Okay.

Pause in interview.
TL: Although your work is done with intensity, concentration and seriousness we've had a lot of laughs these years haven't we?
Isabell:  Yes.
TL: Do you remember running over the mirrors?
Isabell: -laughter-  Yes.

TL: The music you created using the A.R.T. music program was absolutely fantastic.
How were you able to create such awesome polished pieces without having any training in music?
Isabell: I just used my mind, my mind itself.
TL: And it just took off.
Isabell: Yep.
TL: What was it like to dive into something like music without any training?
Isebell:  -laughter- It was coooool.  It was awesome.  It was great.   I loved it.  It was an experience that was so great.
You can hear a riff of Isabell's music on our web site if you go to American Voices with Bill Bradley link.

TL: A.R.T. has started a lot of programs around the country but it has grown much more slowly than a breakthrough like this deserves, at least that's what I think. 
Why do you think disabilities organizations around the country aren't racing to bring A.R.T. to their clients?
Isabell: Can I say this or no?
TL: Say anything you want.
Isabell: Can I tell you this between you and me?
TL: Sure.
Isabell: I think it's so stupid that they don't call us.
TL: So do I.  Luckily there are enough cool places, like last year, we started ten new programs, that's pretty good, right?
Are you looking forward to your exhibition at the Princeton University art museum?
Isabell: -exuberantly- Yes. Yes, yes, yes.
TL: It will be good for your CV.
Anything you want to tell those out there who read the Painter of the Month?