East Meadow’s AHRC art exhibit brings the African safari to life

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Animals roam through a sun-streaked African landscape in “Party Safari,” the May art exhibit created by the members of the AHRC Nassau’s East Meadow location.

Included in the exhibit is a life-size paper-mache model of a baby elephant and a wall mural depicting a sunset over an African jungle among multiple paintings and drawings. The diverse group that comprises the AHRC’s art-centric location voted on the theme and, either independently or with a mentor, worked over the course of three months on artwork to contribute.

Five artists contributed to the paper-mache elephant, including Vivian Perrone, 74, of Farmingdale, who knit a scarf that she crafted into its trunk. Artist Richard Infante and his mentor Luis Francois painted the wall mural, mostly freehand. Francois said that he taught Infante, who is a skilled cartooning artist, how to paint on a large scale.

“We have artists of all different abilities and want each of them to be represented,” said Lisa Moosmueller, the gallery’s manager. The members of the AHRC, who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities, contribute to their community through their artwork and volunteer work such as providing aid at local senior centers.

“Working with them really inspires me,” Francois said, adding that each artist brings a new perspective to a given task and their culmination of talents help create the East Meadow exhibit.

While the artists intend to raise funds for AHRC through the sales of their artwork, they intend to hold another exhibit at the East Meadow Public Library in July.