Brent Quihuis first directed paint onto a canvas nine years ago.
With extreme concentration, Quihuis guided his paintbrush, by way of a laser strapped to a helmet on his head, along a path of abstract and geometric lines he had previously only seen in his imagination.
This was his first time painting, a form of expression that has changed the life of Quihuis and a few of his friends.
Friday, a free reception will herald the work of Quihuis, 35, and six of his colleagues at the Art and Culture Partnership – Art 4 U, formerly known as the Hope VI Art and Culture Partnership.
The exhibit, on display until March 28, features the work of artists who employ the Laser Art Technique, or L.A.T.
But Friday will be the only day the public will be able to meet the artists and see them in action.
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"The silly cliché goes: 'A picture is worth one thousand words,' " said Frank Hernandez, assistant director of Arts for All, a nonprofit corporation at 2520 N. Oracle Road, a block north of West Grant Road. "Imagine how much a picture must be worth to someone who can't speak, or never before was able to paint."
For Quihuis, who can't speak and also has limited mobility because of cerebral palsy, Hernandez's words hold true.
When asked if it was easier for him to communicate through painting or a board of letters and symbols he uses, Quihuis responded yes by enthusiastically rolling his eyes upward.
"I've seen the impact that being able to paint has had on Brent and other students," said Harriett Morton, an art teacher at Arts for All. "You can see the confidence and the joy painting brings to the artists."
Quihuis and the other L.A.T. artists have been painting in the Art 4 U studios on Thursdays and Fridays since July, the rest of the week painting and taking art, theater and music classes at Arts for All.
The process takes time; many paintings are the product of months of one-on-one work with Morton, 56, who works with the artists as a tracker.
"I'm really more of a glorified paintbrush," Morton said.
The artists point their foam, laser-equipped helmets at the canvas to communicate to Morton where they want the paint to go.
To choose a color the artists use a color wheel or point to the paint itself. For texture they point to something in the room that has the look and feel they want, for example a wall or other artwork.
"I like the idea that it, L.A.T. painting, gives the artists a sense of freedom," said Xóchitl Gil, coordinator of Art 4 U. "They have been painting in our studio space since day one, so it is fitting to finally have their work on display here."
Despite each painting being the product of the artist, and Morton following directions, each artist's work retains their identity, Gil said.
"The best thing is when people look at the work, they don't think, 'Oh, a person with limited mobility or a disability painted this,' " Gil said. "You can see the emotion or themes and interpret it for yourself."
The majority of Quihuis' work focuses on shapes colliding abstractly, with detail and simplicity varying from piece to piece.
Among the L.A.T. artists showing their work at Art 4 U is Jacob Gilbert, who presents a dark world of vampires, castles and dragons with his high-detail pieces.
Michelle Olson captures emotion and love in her paintings, with hearts in varying degrees of injury, using blacks contrasting with bright reds and pinks.
Shekitha Strong chooses to experiment with texture and color in her work.
"If art is good, it's good," Hernandez, 32, said. "We want people to judge our art on that, whether it's good or not."
Fernandez said Arts for All would like to train and hire more trackers to help out Morton and the artists.
"If we can get more trackers, we can open up the program and give more people the ability to paint," he said. "Our artists are artists using the abilities they have, not artists who paint with disabilities, and we want to see that grow."
SOUTH SIDE
If you go
What: L.A.T. Art Exhibit
When: 7 to 9 p.m. Friday
Where: Art and Culture Partnership – Art 4 U, formerly known as the Hope VI Art and Culture Partnership,, just north of East 36th Street on South Park Avenue.
Cost: Free
Information: 622-4100
