The World of Art is the brainchild of Lois Fridman who organized it about 8 years ago at the Shriner's Burn Hospital for Children in Galveston, Texas.  The Shriners provide all the funding for the treatment and the lodging for these patients and their family companion.  All must have a family member or friend to be with them during their treatment.  Shriners covers these expenses. 

There was no extracurricular activities in art for the patients at Shriners until Lois started this program.  But as an artist herself, she had an extensive circle of friends who had passions in all art media.  Mine is clay and so Lois contacted me about doing these clay workshops.  The children love it and so do their parents or family members accompanying them.  It is remarkable how some children don't even have hands or very little use of them and yet, they find a way to work with the clay.  And just try to do the work for them and they let you know quickly not to.  They want to do it..........and once I give the instructions and demonstrate, they know what to do.  Amazing!

The Art League of Baytown was organized in 1954 and became a 501.c.3 non-profit in 1963.  I joined the Art League in 1972 but in those days, we had no permanent home until the City of Baytown gave its support to find us one.  With a hefty contribution toward securing the purchase of a new home, the Art League finally left the nomadic life behind to have a permanent location at 110 W. Texas Avenue in Baytown, Texas which is in the upper Galveston Bay area. 

We are able to offer a variety of classes at the Art Center of Baytown and one such class is for Special Needs adults, age 22 and up.  Occasionally I teach one of these classes because the students love to work with clay.  Here in this photo, Mark Nesmith is shown after completion of a mask project he taught - Dias de los Muertos.   The class loved this project except for one - Jessi.  She does not like getting her hands dirty but she did a good job and loved the results of the project.