Butler Philharmonic Orchestra invited Inspiration Studios/InsideOut Studio staff, clients and their families to attend the dress rehearsal for the group’s Christmas concert, “Merry Christmas, BPO Style!” at Parrish Auditorium, Miami University Hamilton. Santa and several elves stopped by to drop off gifts for the attendees, and the artists were invited to act as guest conductors.
“The first collaboration we did was on Dec. 17. The Butler Philharmonic Orchestra had their dress rehearsal for their Christmas program that they were putting on and they invited all of our staff, artists and artist families to come to the dress rehearsal to watch the concert,” Neal Davis said.
She said, “It was a fantastic event. It was another great way to integrate with the community and it was so gracious of the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra to make that happen. We are going to plan on trying to do that on an annual basis.”
In January, Inspiration Studios/InsideOut Studio and the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra will partner on another event where a quartet will come to the studio to play and InsideOut artists will paint in response to the music.
“That will be a lot of fun for the artists,” Neal Davis said. “There’s a large respect for the talents of the individuals that come out of here … Some of the more lasting things have been when we’ve been side by side working with other individuals, organizations and businesses in the community.”
Inspiration Studios is a nonprofit that serves individuals in Butler County. The organization’s mission is to inspire individuals with disabilities. Inspiration Studios oversees InsideOut Studio, a vocational habilitation program that supports individuals with disabilities to live, work and learn in the community. Inspiration Studios also directs Inspired Transportation, a non-medical transportation program for individuals with disabilities.
“Our main mission is to inspire individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities to lead purposeful, healthy and self-directed lives through the programs and services that we offer,” said Neal Davis.
InsideOut Studio artists create art in a variety of mediums from paintings to mosaics, mixed media and more. Much of each artist’s income is commissioned-based, so artists earn a 50 percent commission off of each piece that is sold in the retail store. InsideOut Studio is located at 140 High St. in Hamilton. Winter retail hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.
In addition to creating art to sell in the retail store, artists participate in other projects out in the community, such as teaching a Community Education Program, and creating custom installations for local businesses and organizations.
Installations have been done at Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Kirsch CPA Group, Cohen Recycling Headquarters in Middletown and Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, to name a few.
“Those are great opportunities for our artists, because they earn an hourly wage by going and creating that artwork. So, not only are they earning an income, but they are getting to display their artwork in a public setting,” Neal Davis said.
One of the most visible projects are the fire hydrants the artists have painted in Hamilton. In 2023, the artists will be doing some touch-ups and repainting of some of the existing fire hydrants as well as painting some new fire hydrants.
Another program is Inspired Transportation, a transportation company that was started for individuals with disabilities.
Currently, artists are being transported to and from the programs, but the goal in 2023 is to do some mid-day transport, Davis said.
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