CapeSpace has filled its walls with artwork created by individuals of the Kennedy-Donovan Center (KDC) in West Yarmouth. More than two dozen pieces are viewable to the public and can be purchased with 100 percent of the proceeds going to each artist.
“We are so excited to feature this work which helps place a spotlight on the great work being done by the Kennedy-Donovan Center to expose those they serve to the arts,” said CapeSpace President Robbin Orbison. “The quality of the work is inspiring and speaks to the talent these artists have.”
A nonprofit that serves over 10,000 individuals and families in Southeast and Central Massachusetts as well as Northeast Connecticut, KDC offers a continuum of care for children and adults with developmental delays, disabilities, or family challenges to help them reach their potential.
The artists involved in the CapeSpace exhibit are a part of KDC’s Family Support Program which assists roughly 500 families, including adults who live at home, throughout the region. Several times throughout the year, they participate in art classes led by painter and instructor Debra Hope Colligan.
The idea for the CapeSpace exhibit started after Orbison met Juliane Dillon, the outreach-family support coordinator for KDC, at last year’s Philanthropy Day. The pair’s relationship has since blossomed and Orbison embraced Dillon’s proposal to feature the work of the center’s artists at her Hyannis coworking facility.
Since June, the art has been displayed for members, visitors and the public to enjoy. Orbison and Dillon are working on a reception later this year to recognize those who created the pieces.
Dillon said the center’s individuals are appreciative of the chance to express themselves through art. “I think there’s a sense of personal accomplishment they receive, not only from the joy of making the art, but the fact that other people value it and will actually buy it and also commission them to create art,” she said.
She said relationships like the one KDC has forged with CapeSpace helps give visibility to the work her nonprofit is doing. “When one organization supports another, everybody benefits,” she said. “Through this type of collaboration, we’re able to help each other. It is very valuable.”