Allison Doatch

Allison Doatch, age 24, resides in Edison, New Jersey. In 2005, she
received her Associate in Fine Arts from Middlesex County College. She
received her Bachelor in Fine Arts in June 2007 from Centenary College
in Hackettstown, NJ. Allison has achieved many awards during her young
career as an artist. In 2001, she received the VSA arts of New Jersey
Student Arts Excellence Award and the Governor's Award in Arts
Education. She also received an Award of Excellence from VSA Arts of New Jersey for representing New Jersey in the Children Beyond Borders
International Exhibition at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of her drawings was created as an Earth Day poster distributed by the U.S.
Department of Defense that was displayed at all military commissaries
throughout the United States and the world. As a 2002 graduate of
Edison High School, she was named Outstanding Visual Arts Student for the
Class of 2002. She is also a member of the Edison Arts Society.

Monica Giglio

A lifelong artist, Monica's work began selling in 1994. After a long
sabbatical, she has recently re-emerged on the local art scene with more
modern color-oriented art. She is also a Benjamin Moore paint color
consultant at Warrenville Paint and Hardware in Warren, NJ.

Gallery Directors from New York to Florida are saying. . .

"I particularly favored the "Tree" paintings, but all of the work
exhibits strength in the use of form, color and metaphor to convey ideology
and emotion, resulting in work that is intellectually captivating and
aesthetically balanced."

"Monica has the canny ability to come up with just the right amount of
variation in her "Tree" series to keep audiences enthralled. Her images
evoke a mix of poetic mood and intense exuberance, suggesting at once
the beauty of nature and the imagery of "Pop Art."

"...The way Monica digitally manipulates the (colors in) trees and the
landscape is especially interesting. Her trees seem to transform into
colorful matrixes..."

Laurie Homan

Laurie Homan was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1994 and became
permanently disabled in 1998. In 2000 Laurie began painting as a way to
meditate and reduce stress - a major factor in the progressive nature
of M.S. In January 2001 Laurie had her first solo show at the Long
Branch Public Library resulting in her first sale. Since that time she
has become a member of the Art Alliance in Red Bank; Monmouth County Arts
Council; VSA arts of NJ; and the Guild of Creative Art in Shrewsbury,
where she was a board member.

Laurie had her second solo show in 2004 at the West Long Branch
Library. Her work has been accepted in many different juried shows locally,
and she recently sold work in international shows. Although she first
started working with oils, she has moved into acrylics, inks and mixed
media. Laurie has sold work in each medium and gained Associate status
for her work in both ink and mixed media at the Guild of Creative Art.
Her work can be viewed online at www.DisabledArtistsNetwork.net.

Michael Monaco

As the result of a car accident in 1979, Michael Monaco (then 16) was
permanently paralyzed. Since then, through hard work, determination, and
the support of his family, Michael is once again living life to its
fullest. It started in 1984 when a caregiver taught
Michael how to paint with his mouth. It wasn't long before he started
creating beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and floral arrangements that
decorate homes throughout the United States.

By 1996 Michael was invited to join the prestigious association of
Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. His work now is being displayed throughout
the world on cards, calendars and various other products. Michael
currently produces between 20 to 30 pieces a year.

Tracy Reinhardt

"I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder in 1997. In the 6 months prior
to and after my diagnosis I started drawing in a sketchbook
compulsively. I never had a preconceived idea about the finished drawing only
that I wanted give a feeling, memory or strong emotional place to live other than inside me.

Since my diagnosis I have continued doing artwork. In the last ten
years I have taught myself many ways to express my emotions artistically:
crochet, loom knitting, felting, beadwork, jewelry making, collage, and
digital art.

My work has been displayed and sold at the Arts Unbound Gallery in NJ."

Javier Robles

Javier Robles is currently Deputy Director of the New Jersey Office of
Disability Services. He is also the president of www.thisabled.com, a
web site dedicated to serving the needs of people with disabilities.

"I have always been interested in arts and photography. My love for
photography started in high school after taking a black-and-white class
at Elizabeth High School. Soon after taking that class I suffered a
spinal cord injury due to a fall. After my injury and rehabilitation, I
started taking pictures with a tripod mounted to my wheelchair with a
remote where I could easily reach. Taking pictures has always been
satisfying, however the digital camera and learning Photoshop and illustrator
has really freed my creativity. The versatility of the programs and
what it allows you to do with photos and other media is amazing. For
example 'Dragon Dreams' which is featured in this show started from a
picture of a tree knot I took in Central Park. Maya on the other hand is
a collage of pictures which features my daughter and me. Technology has
really opened the doors to my ability to be creative and think outside
the box. Most of what I have learned has been self-taught. I hope to
continue learning in creating a different world where the impossible is
possible."

Marlene Schwartz

Marlene Schwartz has lived in Cape May County, New Jersey for more than
15 years.

"I came here in 1991, and my art is definitely influenced by my love of
the area," she says.
Ms. Schwartz, who grew up in northern New Jersey, has been an artist
since early childhood. From the start, she never confined herself to one
medium, working in pastels, oils, and watercolors.
Around 1980, Ms. Schwartz began experiencing symptoms that were
diagnosed as multiple sclerosis. This did not affect her artistic pursuits.
Instead, she found that the challenge of creating art while living with
a chronic disease gave her a feeling of pride and self-worth.
Relocating to southern New Jersey in 1991, Ms. Schwartz found new
inspiration, and her paintings began to reflect her appreciation of the
local flora, fauna, and architecture. She has won numerous awards, and her
work has been exhibited in galleries and juried shows in Boston, New
York City, and many local venues around Cape May County.
Ms. Schwartz paints in a style that combines realism with
impressionism. Her award-winning pieces are available as originals as well as
limited-edition reproductions. She also produces commissioned portraits of
people, pets, and houses.
"Painting for me, is truly a gift," states Ms. Schwartz. "When I
paint, it amazes me to see the beautiful images appear almost magically as I
work. That's really what it's all about!"

Barbara Snyder

Barbara Snyder was born in New York and has been painting for over 40
years. Her work is in private collections in the United States and
Europe.

Barbara paints in watercolor, oils, and mixed media and designs
greeting cards as an area of special focus. She attended the Art Students
League, Rhode Island School of Design and studied privately with numerous
artists/teachers.

Her paintings have been exhibited in New England and the Metropolitan
area and in 1995 she painted with the En Plein Air painters in France,
and her paintings were shown at the Galerie Chabin in Paris.

Anthony Zaremba

"I am a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. I was
born right handed but due to the complications of MS, I was forced to
retrain myself to paint with my unnatural left hand.
I have been painting since 1984. My watercolors have been featured in
Snyder Drugstore Calendars seven times. I was selected as a 'Champion
of Courage' by the Berlex Drug Company 'for the courage I demonstrate in
facing MS.' I donated the Berlex Grant money to establish an enabling
garden for wheelchair bound gardeners. The garden is named after me,
an honor I will never forget.

Author Jackie Waldman selected me to be included in her recently
released book, 'People with MS, with the Courage to Give," a book that
features people who have MS and how they meet the challenges of the disease.
I exhibited at the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, the Princeton Medical
Center, and the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Hospital, Bryan Mawr, and
Moss Rehab. I was selected Best in Show for my watercolor entry at the
Ocean County College Senior Show in Ocean County, New Jersey two
consecutive years. My watercolors were a featured story in both the Asbury
Park Press, and Home Tribune newspapers in my home state of New Jersey.
Most recently, I exhibited at the VSA arts Transformation Exhibition
in Washington, D.C. This allowed me the opportunity to exhibit at
Merrill Lynch as part of their Diversity Seminar. I received an invitation
to have my artwork included in a 3-part appeal to all Kennedy Center and
National Symphony Orchestra members that will raise fund for VSA arts.
The Princeton Medical Center show produced a television interview on
New Jersey 12. The interview stressed the ability and not the disability
of artists who face challenges when creating their artwork.
My wife and I have been invited to do class demonstrations for aspiring
art students in the Goetz Middle School in Jackson, New Jersey. To
date we have done four class presentations. We hope to continue to
encourage young artists to pursue their passion for art by volunteering to
do the presentations.

"I love art, classical music, and I am glad that I was given the time to
follow my passion ... my love of art."

Check out my website on the Berlex Champions of Courage website:
http://www.championsofcourage.org/champs/Zaremba/index.html."