Zoom Group

StudioWorks would like to congratulate two of our own who have work on view in a current show at the Weber Gallery.  The exhibit is entitled “Extra-Ordinary People” which describes our friends Donna Sherley and Julie Baldyga.  Both are very talented artists.  For Donna, this is a significant occasion because it represents the first time her artworks have appeared in an art exhibition!  Donna’s family, friends, and coworkers were there to support her proud moment.  Donna arrived at the gallery via limousine which was a stylish gift compliments of her family!

A self described “Free Hand Artist”, Donna stands next to one of her oil pastels.  Before joining our StudioWorks roster, Donna would send stacks of small drawings to our gallery and was persistent in seeking our opinion of them.  What the staff could see was an artist with an unusual vision that just needed the chance to work with better quality materials.  Since joining our gallery, Donna has chosen to concentrate on the medium of oil pastels.  Her latest works feature very stylized figures and other recognizable imagery rendered in gorgeous high-key colors.  This may be Donna’s first success in the art world, but StudioWorks predicts she will have many others to come!

Standing next to Donna is Ken Richey who is Zoom Group’s Interim President and a big StudioWorks fan.  Recently, Ken redecorated our company’s board room with StudioWorks’ art and we were excited by the new look!  Hmm…could a permanent collection be far behind?  Donna is able to attend StudioWorks through a generous scholarship raised during Spring Zing which is Zoom Group’s big annual fundraiser.  Every artist in our program has a funding source whether it’s through the various Medicaid waivers, private pay, or in Donna’s case, a scholarship.  Our thanks go out to all who help make these opportunities possible.

Julie Baldyga is another artist with reasons to celebrate.  This was Julie’s birthday week and her well wishers treated her to a few nice Indian cuisine dinners!  Having work in the Weber Gallery show provided the end of the week dessert for this art world veteran.  Here Julie is sitting in front of her oil pastel “Self-Portrait”.  Julie has two other wonderful pastels of people working on electrical transformers and repairing a motorcycle.  She has always been attracted to figurative subjects that have the knowledge or ability to maintain or fix the broken machines of the world.  You can see both Donna and Julie’s art at the Weber Gallery which is maintained by our friends at the Council on Developmental Disabilities at 1151 South Fourth Street here in Louisville.  The exhibit dates are June 15 – July 27, 2012 and the gallery is open to the public Mondays through Fridays, 10:00 AM to 5:00PM.