EXPRESSION WITHOUT LIMITS

An afternoon in an electric wheelchair brought a new perspective to Dwayne Szot and his fascination with the aesthetic capabilities of machines.

"As I sat in that wheelchair, the ease at which it guided me through the store brought a realization that I could create machines that would act as physical extensions for other people, people with disabilities," said Szot.

Szot, a Minneapolis, Minn., artist, has created a variety of machines used to paint extremely large canvases such as a frozen lake and the roof of a large office building. The machines are an extension of the human hand which guides them.

Szot's Arts for All program developed from that wheelchair ride and the wheelchair painting machine he created. Now the equipment is part of a mobile art studio that brings training to schools and other facilities throughout the Midwest.

The workshop will be presented from 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the Old St. Vicent's Seminary grounds in Cape Girardeau. It will be given the following day in case of rain.

Arts for All allows differently-abled individuals of all ages a chance to uncover their creativity instead of just allowing the disabled to be included in non-disabled activities.

Szot brought his creations to the A.C. Brase Arena Building last year.

Daniel North, executive director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri attended last year's event.

"What impressed me the most was the pure integration of persons with and without disabilities," said North. "The participation level was amazing."

Wheelchairs also were available for persons without disabilities. "Using the wheelchairs allowed people without disabilities to develop a new perspective," he said.

What many see as barriers are just opportunities for Szot to invent something new. Spending his days creating these adaptive tools and teaching others to use them has now become his art.

A host of supporters have made it possible for Szot to return to the Cape Girardeau area for another Arts for All workshop Saturday.

The morning will be devoted to training sessions for support staff. A community picnic will be held from noon to 12:30, and the next 2 1/2 hours will be spent helping students with disabilities create works of art.

The 3:15 p.m. session entitled Cleanup -- "Good Planning: Little Cleanup" is amazing in itself.

"Last year everyone -- all the volunteers and participants -- pitched in, and it only took 15-20 minutes to clean up what it had taken all day to do," said North.

For more information about the workshop, contact the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri at 334-9233.