About The heART of Friendship

The heART of Friendship is an art program sponsored by Friendship Community located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The vision of Friendship Community is to be a community which affirms the worth of all people.  Learn more about Friendship Community.

Art Created by Artists with Disabilities

The heART of Friendship empowers adults with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities to pursue the creation of folk and “outsider” art as a way of developing skills, achieving self expression, finding a meaningful role in society and moving toward economic independence.

The artistic creative process is an affirmation of our bond to the Creator. It is a therapeutic exercise that expresses our inner thoughts, feelings and dreams and communicates these to others. People with developmental disabilities have a unique perspective and a yearning for self expression.

Our Dream

٭  Through local and national means, it is our vision to involve  our artists to interact with the community in many ways.

٭  Our studio and gallery is handicapped accessible and invites participation of persons with disabilities whether or not they are part of Friendship Community.

٭  We hold classes for children and the general public, thus facilitating an artistic experience in the setting of diversity.

٭  We invite students and working professional artists to participate in workshops where their experience and skills will add to the artistic development of the program.

٭  Aggressive marketing of art projects will serve to promote individual artists and their work and provide artists with financial resources. We plan to exhibit and sell our work beyond our studio gallery facility, by marketing on the internet and other local retail establishments. Public and private commissions, open houses, shows and exposure in banks, libraries and commercial offices are also projected opportunities for exhibition and possible revenue.

٭  Ultimately, the heART of Friendship will develop into a self sustaining program offering people exposure to, and involvement with, the creative work of people with developmental disabilities. By encouraging persons with disabilities to develop personal feelings of worth and value, the visual arts offer everyone an opportunity to communicate in a new language, while destroying the stigma often associated with persons having disabilities.