Toby’s enthusiasm for art had faltered. Thankfully, rekindling his love was as simple as picking up a paintbrush again.
Toby Schultz, 42, has developmental disabilities and was taught to create art as a form of expression and a tool to become more independent, said his mother Jana Schultz.
He put down the brush after the University of Idaho’s Center on Disabilities and Human Development stopped participating in Moscow’s ArtWalk, Jana said.
“Everybody always wanted to buy his things,” Jana said. “He could make two paintings and sell them each year.”
When ArtWalk was over, Toby was eager for another opportunity to create and show his work.
That’s when UI junior Ashley Kuznia began as an intern at CDHD last spring. After Kuznia expressed her passion for producing art herself, she was tasked with creating an alternative for displaying and creating art.
Kuznia’s interests developed into artAbility, a CDHD program that brought three artists in to teach adults with disabilities to create art with different mediums.
Her artistic roots grew from friends and babysitters’ influences during her childhood. It has now transformed into a hobby and a way for Kuznia to express her emotions and creative energy.
“It gives me an outlet to just relax and think more about my surroundings and the beauty of life,” she said. “It can be therapeutic in a way.”
Kuznia wants to provide artAbility participants with a similar experience.
“It’s a place where they can come and not have to worry about what they’re doing as much as how they feel when they’re doing it,” she said.
Olivia Lebens, CDHD interdisciplinary training coordinator, encouraged Kuznia to form artAbility. She said the program provides an outlet for everyone to live, learn and play.
“Art is a form of expression and everyone deserves access,” Lebens said.
For Toby, Jana said the program increases his self-confidence and allows him to interact with his peers.
“Just giving them the opportunity for them to try opens lot of doors for them,” Jana said.
Jana said the encouragement Toby has received has been incredible, and participants — including Toby — leave the workshops beaming.
“The opportunity and growth artAbility has brought has been phenomenal,” she said.
A $3,500 Student Arts Fee Grant from UI funded the program for one year, but the future of artAbility is unknown as Kuznia awaits a verdict on her grant application.
This past school yearm the six sessions from October to February exposed participants to different art mediums, including oil paints, alcohol inks and wooden sculptures.
Toby said his favorite piece from the workshops is an oil painting he made outdoors.
Painting outside was a first for Toby, but he said he adapted easily.
“It just takes a while for the oil paint to dry,” he said.
Toby has been painting since the mid-2000s and specializes in nature scenes — especially those involving barns — but had never experienced abstract art or watercolor and alcohol ink mediums.
Alcohol inks were a foreign medium for Kuznia, too. She said that medium was the most interesting to watch develop.
Jana said it’s not surprising Toby was so inspired by artAbilty because he sees the positive in everything.
From the moment he met Toby, David Herbold, a local sculptor, knew he was a genuinely nice and warm individual.
Herbold taught two workshops and provided wooden shapes for participants to make structures out of. Herbold said he went into the workshops with an idea of what could be produced but was impressed with the creativity he witnessed.
“Someone’s doing something twice as good as I even thought of,” he said.
Toby’s zest for art was obvious to Herbold.
“He was genuinely interested in the projects and excited about them and that makes me happy,” Herbold said. “He took some extra pieces home to do some projects on his own.”
The outgoing nature Herbold described fits Toby’s enthusiasm for art and also his job as an office assistant at CDHD.
Whether its replacing labels or finding a coffee pot that doesn’t let water overflow, Kuznia said Toby has a knack for finding little things that are wrong and knowing how to fix them.
“He’s always looking for something to do, something to help with,” Kuznia said. “I think everyone around the office really feels that presence.”