RiverKings players tested their hand-eye coordination skills in a different kind of arena recently, trading hockey sticks for “fine art” paint brushes.
Seventeen players created original works of art on canvas to benefit the team’s “Assists for Autism” initiative. The assists-for-charity program, in which patrons can pledge an amount of their choosing per assist made by the team, also accepts one-time donations and helps raise awareness about the condition.
Of course, “fine art” has different definitions for different people. The players chose an item to paint from various images depicting local culture. Center Glenn Detulleo painted an outline of the state of Mississippi against a yellow background and filled it with splashes of color.
"Sometimes you just need to know your limitations," he said, chuckling. "I'm clearly not an artist, so I picked something fairly simple."
Even though all the players bemoaned their painting skills, the three DeSoto Arts Council member artists volunteering their help for the project said they were impressed with the results. One even made a bid on one of the paintings when the team opened the auction on Saturday, February 27.
“I thought the players did very well,” said Kay Robinson, who along with Rose Sitton and Donna Shankman helped advise the players on brush strokes and drawing tricks. “Some of them are very talented. I was impressed.”
The art is on auction at the RiverKings games until March 19, when the RiverKings will feature Assists for Autism as the M.V.P. (Money-Volunteers-Publicity) Nonprofit of the game. The RiverKings spotlight a different charity, cause or nonprofit organization at each of their 32 home games. The team’s MVP Program is designed to help nonprofits raise money, recruit volunteers, and generate publicity about their missions.
The Dockery Foundation has been a beneficiary of Assists for Autism through the team’s Assists for Autism endowed fund at the Community Foundation of North Mississippi. Through grants from the fund, which raises money by pledges, jersey auctions and special events, the RiverKings have co-funded several sports camps hosted by The Dockery Foundation for children with autism.
“Current statistics indicate that approximately 1 in 92 individuals has an Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Dockery Foundation Executive Director Geoff Fargo said. “As rates of diagnosis rise, so too does the need for programming that addresses the needs of children and families who live with autism.
“We have children who speak and children who don't; we have children who are artistically gifted and children whose gifts lie elsewhere,” Fargo said. “Our purpose is to provide enriching activities for autistic individuals, while also assisting their families and educating the public at large about autism.”
The Dockery Foundation hosts several programs for autistic children, including Art for Autism, which uses art as therapy to provide an expressive sensory program to autistic children; Move for Autism Soccer program; and Camp BOLD, a summer day camp program in which autistic children can participate in many traditional day camp activities – games, outdoor fun, music, tie-dying, and other activities – in an environment that is comfortable for them.
Additionally, The Dockery Foundation art program was the recipient of the DeSoto Arts Council’s first “ARTS for Autism” grant, funded by Lakeside Behavioral Health System. The grant provided a variety of art classes and experiences, including pottery, painting, sculpture, fiber arts, and music, for autistic children on Saturdays in January and February that will culminate with an exhibition of their artwork during National Autism Awareness Month in April at the DeSoto Arts Center, 660 West Commerce Street in Hernando.
For more information on The Dockery Foundation, visit their website at http://www.dockeryfoundation.org, or check out their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/dfdotorg, or e-mail info@dockeryfoundation.org. For information on the DeSoto Arts Council, visit www.desotoarts.com.
For more information about bidding on players’ paintings, making a one-time donation to Assists for Autism or pledging a designated amount per assist made by the team, call the RiverKings at 662.342.1755 or email whitley@riverkings.com.
From left: RiverKings forward Ken Davis paints the Mississippi Governor’s mansion on canvas on February 25th, while forward Bobby Chaumont works on “Welcome to Mississippi.” The hockey players created original works of art based on scenes of local culture to be auctioned on behalf of the team’s “Assists for Autism” pledge drive. All proceeds will help children and families dealing with autism. The auction ends during second intermission of the RiverKings’ March 19 game.
From right: RiverKings forward Ryan Held works on a depiction of the Hernando DeSoto bridge, while teammate Elias Godoy and captain Derek Landmesser work on different scenes from the grounds of Elvis Presley’s Graceland home. The hockey players created original works of art based on scenes of local culture to be auctioned on behalf of the team’s “Assists for Autism” pledge drive. All proceeds will help children and families dealing with autism. The auction ends during second intermission of the RiverKings’ March 19 game. |
