Aspire program provides creative outlet, secondary income options

Nov. 29--The Confucius saying goes, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

Some area residents have gotten a boost in that direction with the help of Aspire, a nonprofit agency that provides services to people with developmental disabilities.

The creative expressions program started as another potential vocation option for people at Aspire. Although most work in other areas to earn an income, this program has given participants the possibility of a second income while doing something they were interested in as more than just a job.

"I was interested in (art) for a long time," Steven Barondeau said. "Basically, it runs in the family. My uncle made this band saw box and my grandma did paintings and such. My grandpa, uncle and dad do wood carvings."

Barondeau has commission projects lined up and is excited to be doing something that he gets paid for and enjoys.

"I'd probably be bored at home," is how Barondeau explains what he'd be doing if the creative expressions program wasn't available. "Basically, it's shown me how to do stuff on my own."

When the program first started, it was set up as classes that allowed for the exploration of new ideas.

"We had classes that they could choose what they wanted to do," said Lori Miller, who helped start the program. "It was to expose them to different things they had never been exposed to."

Over the years, the program has become more specialized to allow people who have a bigger interest in artwork to work independently and create pieces to sell or take commissions for work.

"The creative expressions program started about five years ago as more exploration art and, then about a year ago, we restructured and put the people that were mostly interested in art and who want to market it," in a more conducive setting, Marianne Dale said. Dale leads the creative expressions program.

The leaders of the program were encouraged to push forward when they toured the Suzie Cappa Art Center in Rapid City. That center was started by Black Hills Works, an organization similar to Aspire.

"We toured Suzie Cappa Art Center in Rapid City and their program. They market and sell all over. It allows them another avenue and experience to go for," Dale said.

The pieces the artists create range from mixed media, rugs and quilts, paintings and holiday items.

"Right now, we have a gentleman (Denis Heidenreich) working on a 3-D project with photos and paint," Dale said. "He's using scenes of Aberdeen and the depot and the courthouse to make the 3-D project."

Ideas for projects come from all over. The staff at Aspire help facilitate the ideas and get other help and materials as needed.

"We utilize YouTube and tutorials to learn different techniques," Dale said. "We are looking for volunteers to come in and teach different techniques and come in and paint and create with us."

The artists have all signed contracts to market their work.

"We got a deal," Barondeau said. "You sign the contract and Aspire gets paid half and then we get paid half."

Aspire gets half the income because they supply the materials for the artists. Some materials are donated, some are repurposed like frames and canvases and new materials are paid for through the program or donations.

So far, the group of artists has had shows in Sioux Falls and at their annual fundraising dinner. Currently they are working on an online gallery to sell pieces and they have 50 works on display at the gallery in the Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center. There will be an artists' reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The ARCC will provide refreshments.

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What: Aspire Creative Expressions Artists' Reception

When: 5-7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Gallery at the Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center, 225 Third Ave. S.E.

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