ARTISTS SHOW OFF WARES AT SADI FAIR

A youngster walked up to the woman with a head band.

"Could I get a rainbow?" he asked.

A few minutes later, the young lad gazed into a mirror, happily thanked the Indian face painter, and left. Taking his place beside Laura Marie Stoner was a young girl, who requested that a rose be painted on her face.

Stoner, an author, artist and a worker with SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence Inc., was on hand for the group's annual SADI Disability Talent and Resource Fair Saturday at the Cape Girardeau A.C. Brase Arena Building.

Stoner, who has suffered from arthritis a number of years, was one of many crafters and artists at the event.

Also attending the fair were with Miki Gudermuth, an accomplished artist and SADI's executive director; Darlene Ravell, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and provided songs and entertainment; and a number of representatives from area agencies, who discussed issues relating to people with disabilities.

The fair is being held to kick off Disability Awareness Month, which begins Thursday.

"We had as many as 35 agencies during the daylong event," said Gudermuth. "We also had a number of people with disabilities who demonstrated their talents -- painting, handicrafts, music and more."

Stoner, a mother of three who taught Sunday School for 38 years, is pastor of the Jackson Congregational Methodist Mission. She is author and illustrator of four religious-oriented color and story books, each consisting of about 80 pages.

"I used to draw pictures for my children when they were young," said Stoner. "Later, I started drawing pictures to illustrate my Sunday School teachings."

Stoner introduced her first book, "Jesus & Acts," in 1982. Over the next five years, she produced three more books -- "Exodus," "Prophets" and "Priests and Kings."

Sales of the books, through a couple of Christian bookstores, to churches and at various craft fairs such as Saturday's SADI event, have totaled more than 3,000, and she hopes to soon find a larger market through the Internet.

"I started working with computers a few years ago," said Stoner, who is owner of Heavenly Publications at Jackson. "I had previously worked as a store clerk, but when my arthritis prevented me from standing too much, I looked into another career field."

That field was computers and led to Stoner's job with SADI.

She is in the process of putting together a SADI medical and resource library, to be housed at SADI's office, 121 S. Broadview Plaza, Suite 12.

SADI provides public information and education about ways to become a productive member of society. The organization also serves as an advocacy group to inform disabled people about their rights and benefits. It gives information about accessible housing referrals, technical assistance and peer counseling.

"There are a number of agencies and groups who can help someone who has been injured or suffers from some disability," said Stoner. "We want to make them aware of these agencies."

Earlier this year, Stoner received the Missouri Older Worker of the Year Award.

She joined SADI as a receptionist in March 1996, under the Area Agency on Aging Senior Community Employment Program. In July, SADI hired her as a resource specialist.

"We helped train Stoner," said Gudermuth. "We liked her and her work so well we hired her.

Gudermuth, who was stricken with polio as an infant, has been confined to a wheelchair all of her life. Besides being executive director of SADI, she is an artist, specializing in pets and children with her Portraits by Miki business.

As a youngster, Gudermuth drew the pictures from coloring books instead of coloring them, she said.

She studied art with the Jon Gnagy art course that concentrated on charcoal and pastels

"I like pastels," said Gudermuth. "They are easy to work with and there is no drying time."