Cleon
Jackson loves to paint. "It's a good feeling," he says. For the past
three years, 24-year-old Cleon has been creating beautiful artwork in
WVSA's ARTiculate Employment Training Program,
a program that includes an artist apprenticeship for young people with
special needs or disabilities.Cleon enjoys all his teachers and he beams as he talks about "Mr. Jude," Jude Crannitch, a talented artist, musician, and senior art teacher at WVSA for the past 17 years. "He's fun. He keeps me going and pushes me to do better."
Cleon not only learns from his instructors, but he also enjoys learning from his fellow students. He adds that students learn from him, too, and he likes showing new students the ropes.
Since coming to WVSA, Cleon feels wiser and likes learning new things every day. He says the ARTiculate Program has also given him greater self-confidence.
Cleon is grateful to "Mr. Brown," Director of the ARTiculate Program Marvin Brown, whom Cleon says is a mentor and a good father figure. "Mr. Brown points me in the right direction and teaches me right from wrong."
Cleon is not only an artist, but also an athlete. Every Wednesday after he puts down a paintbrush, Cleon picks up a basketball to play wheelchair basketball. Since he was 12, Cleon has participated in Special Olympics in wheelchair basketball and track.
The Artist Apprentices also learn the business side of art. They receive a commission on the sale of their artwork and get career-readiness training. Cleon would like to apply the artistic and business skills he developed at WVSA to become an entrepreneur and sell his paintings on his own Web site. He is also working on designs for t-shirts and would like to sell those on-line, too.
Cleon enjoys seeing his paintings exhibited in the ARTiculate Gallery and talking to people about his art.
