STUDIO BY THE TRACKS INC

Each week the Studio provides a safe harbor to a diverse group of students. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, Studio By The Tracks offers art classes to adults with autism, Asperger’s syndrome (high functioning autism) or mental illness. The majority of the adults come to the Studio from the residential treatment program at Glenwood Inc., a mental health facility in Birmingham. Several of the students come from the community. Many of these adult students have been attending classes at the Studio since our opening in 1989.

Since most of these adults do not have a chance to work and earn a living, the Studio provides an invaluable opportunity for public and financial validation. SBTT provides opportunities for our students to showcase and sell their artwork through our annual fundraisers, local exhibits, and through our website. Sixty percent of the proceeds of each sale goes to the artist. Even more importantly is the great feeling of pride and accomplishment that the artist receives.

While the autistic community as a whole has grown over the last decade, the number of programs and services to support this growing group has not kept up with that pace. For many of our adult students, SBTT provides a much needed social avenue for self-expression and growth. The artwork created by these students becomes tools that allow them not only a creative outlet but also an opportunity to focus on their strengths and interests rather than on their limitations.

An all male group comes to the Studio on Wednesday mornings from the Old Firehouse Shelter in Birmingham. This group of homeless men, most of whom are also mentally disabled, comes to the Studio to paint, sculpt and draw in an environment that is supportive and non-judgmental. For the vast majority of these men, SBTT provides their only exposure to the arts. By providing these students with an avenue to sell their art, the Studio provides many of these men with a desperately needed source of income.

In the afternoons, SBTT offers art classes to approximately thirty boys, ages 6-17, in residential treatment programs at Glenwood, Inc. These boys have been identified by the court system or social services as emotionally conflicted or at- risk for leading destructive lifestyles, often involving violence and drugs. Low self-esteem and a lack of social and academic skills make these young people vulnerable to failure in society. Since our inception, more than 1,000 at-risk children have benefited from Studio classes.

According to the 2008 Kids Count Data Book, Alabama ranks 47th in the nation in a new state-by-state study on the well being of America’s children. Through our efforts with this student population, Studio By The Tracks seeks to replace negative self-images with positive ones through classes and activities involving the visual arts. We believe that a positive self-image, as well as a drug-free lifestyle, is a gift of high value to the community.