Art show displays artistic talents of people with autism

NOVI — The Mod Market’s fifth annual Autism Acceptance Art Show is now on display at Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea in Novi.

The show features artwork by 12 local artists who have autism.

“The show allows the artists to see and appreciate what other artists are doing and to meet people they have something in common with in a supportive way. It’s great,” said show curator Amy Bonser, who is the manager of Mod Market in Northville. “It’s always like this; lots of smiles. Lots of happiness and sales.”

Nick Bair, of Canton, is among the 12 artists to have work featured in the show and one of several whose work sold on opening night. Bair, 32 is well on his way to becoming a nationally and internationally recognized artist, known for his lifelike and extremely detailed animal renderings across various mediums. Bair’s artwork has been featured at the Detroit Zoo as well as at a zoo in Florida.

“I just love animals,” Bair said.

He said his favorite animal is the elephant, as elephants are majestic and their trunks make them sound like they are trumpeting.

“I like to create ideas,” Bair said of his love of art.

Derek Bair said that his son never gets enough of animals and enjoys traveling around the country and the world to see the various animals at the zoos. The Bairs have traveled to South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe for Nick to see different animals.

Nick Bair truly comes alive when he has the opportunity to draw. His dad said that art has provided a way for his son, who is limited verbally, to express himself. For as it says on his son’s website, “Art is a language anyone can speak.”

‘I want people to know that people with autism, they have special gifts of their own,” said Nick Bair.

However, he does not attribute his talent to his autism but rather his family lineage. His sister is an artist, his dad is an artist and his grandfather was an artist. Derek Bair said that while he also enjoys creating artwork, his father, who was an engineer by trade for the majority of his life, told him there was no money in art and to find a career that was more financially stable and just do art for fun; hence, he went into medicine. However, Nick’s artistic talent coupled with his autism made art the prime choice for a full-time career path for his son.

“Because of Nick’s autism, for him to hold down a regular 9 to 5 job would be almost impossible. So, the fact that he makes a living with the artform that he has developed is kind of a gift in itself.”

Bair works two and a half days a week at Mod Market, and when he’s not there, he is working at his studio in his home in Canton. His dream is to have a permanent art exhibit at a museum one day.

The Mod Market show provided Terri Guice, of Detroit, the platform for her first art show, where her diamond painting hummingbird piece sold on opening night. Guice got introduced to art with coloring books and gel pens but found her artistic talent through her sister’s suggestion to try her hand at diamond painting, which consists of gluing resin diamonds onto a canvas to create an image. Guice said art makes her feel “warm and good” inside.

“Doing art, it makes me feel accomplished. It makes me feel good about something,” Guice said.

Kinia Guice, of Farmington Hills, said she encourages her sister to stay with it, as the end result is beautiful. She said that she is glad that her sister is getting recognition in the show.

“Just having people celebrate and appreciate what she has done is more than words could put with it,’ Kinia Guice said.

“I can definitely see her having more work in a studio accommodating orders,’ she said.

She said that she is working to have her sister’s social media page highlight some of her artwork.

Outside of the Mod Market art show, Nick Bair’s work can be seen online at artistnickbair.com.

The Mod Market Autism Acceptance Art Show will be on display at Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, 43346 Grand River Ave., through May 13. All artwork on display is available for purchase, if it has not already sold. The proceeds from the event will be divided equally between the artists and Mod Market, “an inclusive artisan shop and job training program” operated by the Living and Learning Enrichment Center in Northville.